


Enough To Go Around

by Fluffy_Magnus



Category: Dangan Ronpa
Genre: Character Death, Multi, Multiple Pairings, Spoilers, mixed content
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-13
Updated: 2014-11-05
Packaged: 2018-02-19 19:43:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 25,464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2400587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fluffy_Magnus/pseuds/Fluffy_Magnus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Multiple one-shot stories about Yamada dating his friends. Some stories are set in different timelines, AUs and are not connected to one another.</p>
<p>Contains spoilers, swearing, violence, implications and some themes that could be upsetting (always check notes at the top).</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The main character is dating them?!

**Author's Note:**

> I've decided to take on a challenge to write every possible DR1 pairing with Yamada, mainly because I think he needs a bit more love. I will be taking on pairings I personally don't like, but will do my absolute best on them. I will also be sure to put certain content warnings in the top notes so if there is a pairing or stuff you'd like to avoid, then no worries.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We start off with some Naegi/Yamada. I didn't have many ideas as to how they would end up together, but I think this is sweet enough. Also sorry this is really long. I got carried away.
> 
> This story has major spoilers and character deaths. Plot is based off the bonus ending from the game only minus a few characters (apologies to fans of said characters). Is also mixed in with the first game's chapter.

**Sayaka Maizono is dead.**

 

_No, that can't be right._

Naegi tried to fight off the ghastly chill that ran up his body as his fellow students reconfirmed what he had witnessed in his own room moments ago. She had been killed in his bathroom, sitting in a pool of her own blood with a knife sticking out of her stomach. The sight was just so unreal, like something from a horror movie or a cold opening of a cop show. No wonder she was acting strange and wanted to switch rooms- she knew somebody was out to get her. But... who? Why? Sure they all wanted to get out, but not like this. At least for now he was away from such a bloody sight.

 

_For about a few seconds._

 

Screaming and confused yelps echoed in the gym as the sight of sharp spears pierced Junko Enoshima's body. While Naegi went into silent meltdown, the fashionista assaulted Monokuma after becoming fed up with the current situation. As punishment, she was killed- in front of everybody no less. As she sharply took her last breath, the spears were pulled from her flesh, making a sickening sound and leaving splatters of blood on the floor. Again, more screaming.

Naegi just stood and looked down at Junko's lifeless body. Just when he thought he'd seen enough blood, fate threw more at his face. He could barely hear what anyone was saying as his mind began to block out everything in order to cope. Just anything that could be done to avoid a serious breakdown. He wasn't even aware that Monokuma was explaining the class trail rules in further detail as well as passing out autopsy files for Maizono. He needed to calm down. He needed a break.

"Hey, it says here that Maizono was killed in Naegi's room."

"What?! HE did it?"

"Hey you shithead! Is that true?"

_He did not need this._

Within a seemingly short space of time, he had witnessed two of his friends die and was pinned as the killer for one. Again, this was so unreal. Despite insisting his innocence, nobody appeared to believe him. In a way he almost couldn't blame him. It just seemed so obvious considering where Maizono died. As everybody left the gym to investigate, Naegi was left standing alone near Junko's body to silently prepare for what seemed like the beginning of his end.

"Um, are you... going to be okay?"

_Or so he thought._

"Huh?"

Snapping out of it once more, Naegi looked up from the floor to see Hifumi Yamada stand in front of him. The otaku was about three feet away (probably because he was nervous), but sounded a little concerned.

"I asked if you were going to be okay, Mr. Makoto Naegi." He repeated, sounding a little less nervous this time. "Well, I know you aren't feeling okay like the rest of us... but, I suppose you are having it worse, correct?"

Naegi was still feeling weak and dizzy from what he saw moments ago, but he nodded regardless. However his mind was now less focused on the deaths and more on why Yamada was still here.

"Thanks for asking, b-but..." He paused as if almost hesitating. "Why are you talking to me?"

"I..." Yamada frowned a little as if he were offended, but still kept using a concerned tone. "I was simply asking of your well being. Why should that seem strange?"

"Oh, it is not like I don't appreciate it, honest!" Naegi waved his hands apologetically. "I just wasn't expecting anyone to talk to me because of... well..."

"The accusations?" 

"Yeah..."

The otaku looked away, as if he were thinking. His hands staying by his chest, gripping his backpack straps.

"I will admit that I too find the location of Miss Sayaka Maizono's body rather suspicious, but..." He turned his head back to face Naegi and took a bold step forward. "A part of me finds it too obvious. So very... cliche, like something from a bad anime plot, and lord knows that there are far too many of those!" He almost went on a tangent about it, but luckily for Naegi, his thoughts on the murder quickly came back. "Innocent until proven guilty... wouldn't you agree?"

Naegi felt the heavy feeling of despair slowly fade away and tears forming in his eyes. Not once did he get to cry at either Maizono or Junko's passings, but now he had a chance to experience something better. Hope. He felt some hope from Yamada's words.

"Yamada, I..." He just about managed to not choke up on his own words. "Thank you."

"No need." Yamada smiled as he shifted his hands to his hips. "Not everything what it seems and after how strange things have been so far, we'd all be foolish to apply reality to even this. I shall take you into my party temporarily for this quest!"

Naegi had to take a moment to translate what was just said.

"You're going to help prove my innocence?"

"Well... kind of." Yamada scratched the back of his head before looking off to the side. "I hate for it to come out like this but... I was asked to keep an eye on you."

"Wait, what?" That feeling of hope was starting to slip away a little. "So... you don't really trust me at all. You are only just doing what you were told to."

"D-Don't take it the wrong way! I still want to help, b-but..." 

"You don't have to explain. I understand..."

"Mr. Makoto-"

"I said- just... I'll be sure to never leave your sight."

"O-Okay."

That could not have gone any worse. Yamada was pretty much cursing himself internally for how it went, but at least he was honest. It was true that he was sent to keep an eye on Naegi. When the others left the hall, they had a quick talk before splitting up. Some were worried that the killer could strike again during the investigation to shake things up, so they all agreed on getting somebody to stay by Naegi's side until the trail came up. Yamada ended up getting picked and his protests fell on deaf ears.

The duo left the gym side by side. Naegi's steps were slow and his head hung low.

 

* * *

 

 

As they searched almost every room as best they could, Yamada couldn't help but notice that Naegi seemed to be lagging behind. No doubt the obvious distrust from his classmates was slowly weighing down his spirit. Yamada thought this wasn't like the so called lucky student at all. He needed a boost of some kind.

Then he wondered why he thought that this wasn't like Naegi to be this gloomy. It wasn't like they knew each other well since they had only been here a few days. How strange.

"Mr. Makoto Naegi?" That barely got a vocal response, but Naegi did turn around to make eye contact. "I, er... I just wanted to tell you that-" Just as his hands brushed past his chest, he felt something solid inside of his white shirt's breast pocket. "Ah, of course!"

He quickly pulled out a small silver key and held it up almost as if it were a mighty sword a hero wielded. Naegi questioned what it was for but before he got an answer, the otaku reached out and grabbed his hand.

"Make haste! We have a treasure chest to unlock!" 

"Yamada, w- hey!"

The brown haired boy was then quickly led all the way to the incinerator room which was locked in by large metal shutters. It was then Yamada revealed that he was on trash duty before the murder and that before he went to the gym he spotted something odd as he passed by.

"As you can see, the incinerator is on, but I remember-"

"Yamada-"

"Please do not interrupt, I'm trying to-"

"I don't mean to, it is just..." Naegi could see Yamada get more visibly annoyed, so he was quick to blurt out what he needed to say. " _You are still holding my hand_."

There was a short moment of silence as the otaku slowly looked down and oh hey, fancy that, his large hand was tightly gripping onto Naegi's smaller one.

" _Oh._ " 

Awkwardly letting go then turning away to focus on the scene (and also to hide his blushing), Yamada pointed to the incinerator that was on.

"I had turned that off last night after disposing of some garbage before locking up like I'm supposed to." He explained calmly. "But for some reason it is on now."

"Well, maybe somebody had some trash to get rid of this morning?" Naegi quickly suggested. "How many people have access to the incinerator?"

" _Only one soul whose heart is set on justice._ " Yamada spoke in a deeper voice. "There is only one key and I have it. Therefore only I can get through the gates." He squinted at the incinerator again, his expression showing he was clearly annoyed yet also perplexed. "Could this be the work of fairies or- _gasp_ \- **demons?!** " He let out a squeak before covering his cheeks with both hands.

"I doubt it." Naegi quickly dismissed Yamada's absurd theory. "But somebody somehow got it working without opening the shutters."

"How strange." Yamada sighed as he approached the incinerator. "I better turn this off."

Just as he did, Naegi spotted something on the floor. It was burnt, but he could tell that is was a cuff of a white shirt sleeve... _**with blood on it**_. Before he could point it out to Yamada, he also noticed some shards of glass laying about nearby. Just what on earth could this have been? After informing Yamada, they both discussed the possibilities of what they were and how they could have ended up there.

"The killer obviously tried to get rid of some evidence." Naegi stated. "But if that were the case then how could they if the shutters were blocking the way? I'm not sure why, but I have a feeling these glass shards are the reason. And why are they such big shards too? If I carefully piece them together they almost form some kind of ball. Like... a crystal ball...?"

"Funny you should mention that, because I'm pretty sure I remember Mr. Yasuhiro Hagakure complaining about losing his crystal ball the other day." Yamada couldn't help seem a bit annoyed. "He's always losing stuff then accusing others of stealing from him. Usually he blames me..."

"That might just be it."

"Y-You think I stole from him?!" Yamada gasped out before pulling at his bottom lip with one hand nervously.

"Huh? No! I mean that these shards were once Hagakure's crystal ball!" Naegi explained.

"So... he did it?"

"I... I'm not sure. It is a possibility." The luckster shrugged. "I think we need to go over everything we found or at least check out the scene of the crime once more. I wasn't paying that much attention earlier because..." He trailed off as he looked down at his feet.

"Mr. Makoto...?"

"Don't worry about it. I'm fine." Naegi looked up and reassured with a weak smile. "Let's head back and double check."

"I just hope Mr. Mondo Oowada does not give us any fierce looks this time." Yamada trembled a little as he adjusted his glasses.

"I think he was only doing that because I was around." Naegi suggested. "By the way, why couldn't he have followed me about? Makes more sense that way."

"Oh, his duty was to guard the crime scene in case anyone tries to tamper with it." Yamada explained. "He and miss Sakura Oogami take turns."

"I see." Thinking about it a little more, Naegi assumed that neither of strongest students felt up for combing the first floor for clues. No doubt they wanted to leave that job up to the sharper ones like Togami for example.

After checking the crime scene some more, the school announcement chime rung through the building, grabbing everyone's attention.

 

_**"Okay, time's up! It is time for the class trial!"** _

 

Monokuma gave directions as to where everyone should go. Following them lead to an elevator which Naegi could have sworn wasn't there before.

"I think this was blocked off before..." He murmured to himself before taking a deep breath. It sounded like the others were already inside. 

"Don't worry, everything will be fine." Yamada reassured, sounding pretty confident with his words this time. "The evidence we found clearly proves it."

Naegi nodded and smiled. He was taken back a little by how much faith Yamada had him. But it was true, he knew he didn't murder Maizono. In fact most of what was found proved he couldn't have done it. However, it didn't quite point to anyone else. As they stepped inside of the elevator, he felt a cold chill as everyone who was in there slowly turned to stare at him all at once. One or two unpleasant things were said, but nothing more came as the doors closed behind them and the elevator descended. Once it finally came to a stop, the doors opened and everyone slowly walked out. Naegi stood there, trying to calm his nerves for the last time before all of this began. Just as he slowly looked back up from the floor, a hand gently patted his shoulder. 

It was Yamada. He never made eye contact as he was looking straight ahead before walking outside, but that touch alone was a sign of faith. A sign of hope.

"...I can't give up." Naegi whispered to himself. "I have to do this not just for me... but for them too. If this goes wrong then it won't just be my life at stake."

 

 

* * *

 

The trail was off to a rather quiet and awkward start as nobody seemed to have a clue as to what to do or what to discuss. Eventually one person spoke out, but only to dismiss the whole trial as pointless.

"Why we doing this? It is obvious fricken' Naegi did this." Kuwata grumbled as he ran his fingers through his red spiky hair.

Some of the others mumbled in agreement.

"H-Hold on a second!"

A voice that nobody expected to hear so soon grabbed everyone's attention. All eyes were on Yamada now.

"I know you're all suspicious of Mr. Makoto Naegi, but if things were that obvious then why would Monokuma bother with the trial at all?"

That had some of them either stunned to silence or just shaking their heads in disbelief.

"D-Don't tell us you are actually siding with t-that piece of trash!" Fukawa sharply pointed to Naegi, giving off her usual toxic vibes.

"Yeah, just what this fuck is all this about?" Oowada snapped, raising a fist. "I saw you hanging out with him during the whole investigation. You his accomplice or something?!"

"Did you both forget that we had all nominated Yamada to watch over Naegi in the first place?" Celes reminded in a calm manner, yet there was a hint of annoyance from her body language.

"And also-" Kirigiri spoke up for what seemed like the first time in hours. "There are no benefits in becoming someone's accomplice. After all, only the murderer can graduate."

"Wait, is that true?" Asked Ishimaru who seemed a little lost in all of this.

"Yes indeed!" Monokuma confirmed. "Only the culprit can graduate if they don't get found out! And regardless of how obvious the culprit may seem, I will still host the trial for fun. You never know... not everything is as it seems~"

"The hell does that even mean?" Oowada snapped, now both his hands were raised.

"It means that you two have already wasted our time going over details we all already knew." Togami coldly stated. "Honestly, if you keep holding this up then the rest of us could end up getting executed due to your own stupidity."

Oowada glared at the heir, but stayed quiet. Fukawa simply fidgeted and looked down at her shoes. Wait was she blushing?

"Anyway..." Ishimaru tried to steer the conversation back to the case summary. "Are we all in agreement over the murder weapon?"

Everyone had more or less decided that the knife in Maizono's stomach was the cause of death and later Asahina brought up that she saw Maizono in the cafeteria last night. It proved she took the knife, possibly for self defense but it still did not clear Naegi's name nor explain why she was in his room. Right then, Naegi felt Yamada nudge him. Of course, he remembered now. He'd told the otaku about the room swap and if anything this was the time to tell everyone. But after explaining, not everyone was convinced. That is... until Kirigiri brought up a surprising bit of evidence about the rooms, or rather the name plaques on the doors. They had been switched.

Suddenly everyone else started to feel more lost than before. They had all pinned their hopes on Naegi being the killer because it seemed the most obvious and easiest conclusion to come to. As more evidence was brought up, Naegi would sometimes turn to catch Yamada looking his way, either smiling or winking. Sometimes the odd thumbs up gesture was used. Their hard work during the investigation was paying off and it seemed to be regaining everyone's trust again.

 

* * *

 

 

"If you flip the dying message upside down, it reveals the name of whoever killed Maizono..."

The trail had been going on for what seemed like a couple of hours and after much debate a final decisive clue had been brought up. The bloody message Maizono has wrote on the wall her body was found leaning against. Naegi was just talking about it and already it had one person pretty rattled.

"LEON." The luckster read out loud so everyone could hear. "Isn't that your name... ** _Kuwata Leon?_** "

There was a moment of silence as everyone's eyes quickly fixed on the baseball star's trembling form. His stance was slightly crooked, his feet far apart and fists clenched as he continued to stare down at the floor.

"Well?" Togami spoke in a tone that practically demanded an immediate response.

"Do you have any objections?" Kirigiri asked.

Yamada quickly leaned in closer to Naegi to whisper.

"Good work! I think he's cracked. Looks like this is all over."

"Of course I have an objection! This is **STUPID!** You are all assholes! **ASSHOLES, ASSHOLES, ASSHOLES!** "

"Oh..." Yamada could feel his gut churning again. "I guess I spoke too soon." 

By now, Kuwata's outburst made it more obvious that he was guilty. There was no calming him down and every question thrown was quickly shot down by petty excuses. But then one caught everyone by surprised and had some questioning the culprit once more.

"What makes you think I threw that fucking ball through the gates to turn on the incinerator? Huh? Even for me that is impossible!" The loud bang of Kuwata slamming his hands down on his stand just added to his vicious defense.

"Well, there is not other way you could have done it." Naegi argued. "With your talent, it would have been easy! Nobody could get to the incinerator anyway and considering the evidence, the only person who could do it was-"

"Oh, I get it!" Kuwata cut Naegi off, calming down a little but only because his throat was getting hoarse from yelling. "I see what you are getting at. Nobody could get through because they'd need the key right? However, somebody does have the key because they were on trash duty. So... whoever was on trash duty _is the killer!_ "

"Wait, _whaaaaat?!_ " Yamada screamed, now trembling as all eyes were on him. Funnily enough everyone had forgotten he was on duty for that, so his outburst did not exactly help.

"Wait, hold on a second!" Naegi tried to keep everyone's attention, but Kuwata's voice was louder.

"Yeah, it all makes sense now. I mean, Yamada has plenty of white button up shirts like most of us. He could have easily set up the whole crystal ball crap to frame me!"

"He... _does have a point._ " Hagakure said. "Plus it was my crystal ball that was used, so I could have been framed too!"

Now everyone was discussing the possibility of the most unlikely looking person committing murder. Despite no longer being in the frame himself, Naegi was sweating bullets. Just how could this have happened? He had worked so hard to get the real killer and everything was back to square one just like that. It was so easy to let it slip and come crashing down. Yamada was the one who had helped him regain hope to fight for his innocence... and now he was in the line of accusations.

"C-Come to think of it..." Fukawa spoke up, still stammering and not as loud and clear as the other, but still got attention. "That filthy animal has been siding with N-Naegi this whole time!"

"Whoa, she's right- _for once!_ " Oowada exclaimed.

"Although we've decided that Naegi is not the killer, I too must admit that his behavior has been quite strange throughout this entire trial!" Now even Ishimaru was swaying and others were following suit. 

"Has he been throwing us off this whole time?" Asahina asked shakily.

"Is t-that true, Yamada?" Fujisaki asked, her tone upset as if she could cry over how somebody as seemingly polite as him would do such a thing.

" **No!** " Yamada cried out. Now he too was trembling and trying so hard to fight back any tears. "I swear on my dear mother's life that I would _never_ kill anyone!"

"He has to be lying." Fukawa sneered as she backed up a little way from the otaku since they were standing next to each other.

"It would seem that you don't have a decent rebuttal to all of this, Yamada." Celes spoke calmly. For a brief moment, he could have sworn she smiled.

"See?" Kuwata was almost beaming. He felt he'd done a good job getting almost everyone to side with him. "I told you that I couldn't be the killer!"

 

"But... _your_ name is still Maizono's dying message."

 

Again there was silence. Kuwata could feel a mixture of burning rage and dwindling hope as he looked in the direction of whoever spoke up. What a surprise, it was Naegi again. However something was different about him. He sounded very sure of what he said. Nothing was stammered nor was his stance slouched, giving off a confident and dominate look. There was no way he was letting this end after all this debate. Not after coming this far. And no way was the person he considered his closest friend here was going to die for being falsely accused.

"You again? Just give up!" Kuwata shouted. "Yamada probably wrote that message to throw you off."

"Then how do you explain the blood on Maizono's fingers?" No way the lucky student was letting Kuwata get a chance to recover this time.

"He could have dabbed her fingers in the blood after or something!" His come backs were getting weaker.

"You mean he'd bloody himself and take the risk of being seen like that until the water came back on in the morning?"

"W-Well, there was-"

"I know now that Maizono was planning to kill but... she knew her charm of being an idol could be the perfect lure for her victim."

Once again Kuwata slammed his fists down.

"Exactly! So even a loser like Yamada couldn't resist!"

"Well that is where you are wrong." Naegi countered once more, not flickering in the slightest. "Yamada is not into 3D women."

"Oh come the FUCK on! What kind of lame ass defense is that? He's just like any other guy here. NOBODY could resist her!"

" _Would that include you?_ "

Stunned to silence once more, the red haired student couldn't tell if this was brought on by the relentless defense or that he was truly fucked. The louder he screamed, the more the others began to suspect him for the outbursts. As Naegi began to give a full in depth summary of the murder, the ultimate baseball star's hop began to crumble and there was no chance of a recovery.

"Well now, it looks like we've reached the end!" Monokuma cheerfully did spins in his seat. "Now then, use the button in front of you to decide who dunnit! Iiiiiit's voting time~"

That out of place cheerful tone was the second last chilling thing the whole class heard as voting began. 

The last was Kuwata screaming as he was dragged away by the neck to his execution.

 

* * *

 

 

It was the morning after everyone witnessed Leon Kuwata's gruesome death. As upset as some were to learn that he actually murdered somebody, they were just as distraught when he was killed too. This whole situation was messed up and not what anyone should go through for any reason. Surprisingly, most students made it to the morning meetings in the cafeteria as always. For some keeping up this routine helped distract them. However not everyone was there. Kirigiri was most likely off investigating as usual. By this point nobody was worried that she would get murdered. Togami was not around either, but Fukawa informed everyone that she saw him in the library... before slinking off to no doubt spy on him in a stalker-ish manner. This was all expected of the usual absent ones, until it was pointed out that Yamada was not present. There was a moment of concern that was quickly brushed off by some.

"I'm sure he's just... y'know..." Oowada quickly gestured something rather crude that made most of the girls stare in disgust.

"Oowada, that is most inappropriate!" Ishimaru scolded the biker. Some were quite surprised that somebody as pure as him knew what it meant.

"He's most likely upset that we were quick to accuse him yesterday." Celes spoke calmly before taking a sip of tea. 

"Hey, shouldn't somebody go check up on him?" Fujisaki suggested. "What if... w-what if 'that' happened again?"

It didn't take long for the worry to spread to nearly everyone's faces, yet nobody seemed keen to actually volunteer. It almost felt like they didn't care enough although it was most likely because nobody wanted to find another body. 

"I'll go." Heads turned as Naegi got up from his seat. "I think it is best I go anyway. I think I'm closest to Yamada out of anyone here."

Nobody objected or said a thing. Silent nods of approval from a couple of people was about it. 

He made his way out of the cafeteria then towards the dormitory.

 

* * *

 

Arriving at Yamada's room door, Naegi took a deep calming breath before he reached out for the doorbell. However he quickly spotted that the door was slightly open.

"He didn't...? _Oh no..._ "

This was all too familiar. He could feel his heart starting to beat the same pained way it did before finding Maizono. Not wanting to linger and let that feeling last, he quickly swung the door open, not even calling out as he darted into the room.

He was greeted by the sight of a half dressed otaku staring back at him in surprise.

"M-Mr. Makoto N-Naegi?!" Yamada squealed as he tried to cover himself up. He was in the middle of putting his shirt on, wearing nothing else but some very tight fitting blue underwear. "Please refrain from barging in like this! Y-You almost scared me to death!"

"Oh gosh, sorry!" Naegi quickly covered up his eyes, but then almost as fast put his hands down with a slight frown on his face. "Wait a second, you didn't even lock your door! Don't get mad at me when you forgot something so important!"

"I did? Oh..." Yamada looked over the luckster's shoulder to see that the door was indeed ajar now. "You still could have knocked!"

"I'm sorry, I didn't know! I just panicked. I thought you were-"

Naegi quickly fell silent. There was no need to even say it. His paled face and shaky stance was proof enough that he was worried and scared to the bone of history repeating itself. Yamada quickly understood that. 

"Well, I'm fine. No need to worry." He clutched at his shirt which only had one arm through it. "You can return to the others. I'll be sure to keep the door locked once you go."

"Wait, you aren't leaving your room?"

"I lack the motivation and energy to face everyone with a facade." Yamada sighed as he continued to dress himself. "Besides, I know my role here. My character type is not supposed to hang around with the main cast."

"I don't understand."

Yamada sighed before reaching over to grab his pants off of the bed.

"Come now, I'm sure you are familiar with the usual tropes that most stories follow time and time again. The main character recovers from a hellish ordeal which in turn earns respect from the supporting cast. Sure the possible love interest has met an unexpected end, but some writers do that to throw off the readers because everyone loves a red herring." His rambling was making little to no sense to Naegi, yet he was sure Yamada was talking about Maizono just then.

Now the otaku was putting his tie on.

"I however do not approve. Wasting a character early on for the sake of another's development is just plain awful. There is always another way, but some people are always looking for shortcuts. It is no wonder the fictional world is constantly mocked when it has such flaws."

Naegi was now fully aware that Yamada was talking about what had happened so far. The way he worded it like it was just another story he'd read would seem pretty insulting and disrespectful to the others... but oddly enough, not Naegi. He knew that this was Yamada's only way of expressing himself due to a lack of experience in proper social etiquette. Nobody had ever stopped to teach him how to speak differently. Hell, nobody would stop to even acknowledge him. Sure he had many fans who enjoyed his work, but they were most likely just as awkward or out of touch with the real world as him.

By that point Yamada had only his cardigan and shoes left, but it seemed as though he wasn't going to bother. It wasn't like he was going anywhere.

"A main character-" Yamada gestured to Naegi. "Should have little to nothing to do with the comic relief who thinks they have a chance of being much more."

Was he... talking about himself?

"They are nothing more but a joke. Mostly fitting a horrendously overused stereotype who gets zero respect from nobody. Not from the other characters, nor the fans... not even the writer!" The more he went on, the redder his face became. Being upset over something a little was not his style. It was all the way or nothing. "They aren't meant to befriend the main character, or serve as anything more than a stepping stone for their development. They can't date either! It doesn't matter if feelings are implied, it is all... h-hopeless..."

The very moment Yamada stammered that last sentence, from hearing the slight pitch change and spying tears in his eyes- Naegi had a feeling in his gut.

"Yamada... is there something you are trying to tell me?" Naegi asked in a calm tone, hoping to relax his friend a little.

"I just told you about how much I don't like this. T-The whole plot of-"

"No, not that."

Despite that sharp cut off, Naegi still seemed friendly and willing to help if need be. He took a few slow steps forward and Yamada skirted backwards. The back of his legs hit the bed and he wobbled, but regained balance.

"N-Naegi, please! I'm not-" He wobbled again and toppled, but managed to end up sitting down. "This is hard enough as it is..."

As he sat there whimpering with tears beginning to stream down his face, Naegi reached out to gently and hushed softly.

"Hey, don't worry. You don't have to say or do anything if you don't want to. No matter what, we're still friends." The brown haired boy smiled before sitting down next to Yamada on the bed.

"I don't understand it myself..." Yamada sniffled. "I've never desired anything like this. It goes against everything I am, yet... I feel a bond. A strong one, like the kind you unlock after completing a character's route on a dating simulator!" Does this guy ever knock off the references?

Naegi looked the other way for a moment in thought. Now that Yamada brought it up, he was right. In fact, Naegi felt the same way. But how? They had only known each other for a few days. Sure some people can hit it off really well by chance, but that was pretty rare. Then again, he was the ultimate lucky student. Perhaps fate had rewarded him in the form of a close friend? Or maybe something more than that?

"It is strange how we've only talked a few times and yet feel so close." Naegi turned his attention back to Yamada. "But... I'm fine with this. I still don't understand it, but it feels like we've known each other for years. I feel at ease around you." The more he spoke about it, the more relaxed he became and in turn that influenced Yamada to feel the same.

"R-Really?" Yamada paused to wipe away his tears on his sleeve. "So you feel the same then?" 

"Of course I do. I'm here by your side no matter what." Naegi smiled.

"Oh no, Mr. Makoto Naegi. If anything, I should be at your side. After all, you are the main character~" Yamada chuckled before smiling back.

Naegi couldn't think of anything to say in response to that, but at least things were good between them.

"I'm gonna head back and let the others know that you are okay. You coming later?"

"Maybe." Yamada replied as he glanced over to his desk. "I might draw for a while, but I'll try to keep you up to speed later."

Naegi nodded, saying his goodbyes before leaving the room.

 

The very second he closed the door behind him, something rather annoying popped up. Literally.

" _Heeeeey there~_ "

"Ah!"

 

Like right in front of him. Just how the heck does Monokuma do that?

 

"So, Naegi- I couldn't help but overhear what you and Yamada were talking about." The little bear put his paws up to his mouth and imitated a snickering motion despite not actually laughing at all. "Bears have really good hearing you know!"

"How did-" Naegi cut himself off a soon as he remembered. Damn security cameras. "Oh."

"I was getting bored of listening to all the special bond and friendship stuff... but oh man!" Monokuma was now wriggling about strangely. "The moment that _clue_ was dropped, I almost exploded! Bears can't actually do that by the way. Only I can, I mean, you've seen it before..." His rambling went ignored.

"Wait, what clue?" And Naegi pretty much took the bait before he could stop himself.

"Oh, you know, a clue about the **real** secret inside this school~"

Right then Naegi could feel his heart beat go up tempo quite a bit. Whenever words like secret were dropped, it usually led to bad things occurring. The past few days were evidence of that. Just what could this mean? 

"I don't understand! What do you mean by that?" 

Monokuma stopped jiving about and came to a sudden standstill, now just staring up at Naegi. If he had better facial flexes, he would be frowning by now.

"Well that sure is a let down." The bear sighed before looking down at the floor. "I guess you didn't get the clue after all. Oh well. Guess you'll have to pay more attention in future for the next one!" 

And with that, Monokuma dashed around the corner and was gone. Despite running after him, Naegi turned the corner to discover that the bear had vanished. None of this was making any sense and as much as he wanted to know what the clue was, he also wanted to not know at all.

 

* * *

 

 

Slowly making his way back to the cafeteria, Naegi spotted a trio of students he never expected to be together at any given time besides the odd gathering or meeting. Kirigiri was examining something at the gift shop counter while Togami and Fukawa stood and watched. Now what were they doing and why? It was too late to walk away and ignore it as Togami spotted Naegi the split second he noticed them. It was not an easy task to simply ignore the beckoning stare from the progeny.

"What are you guys doing?" Naegi finally asked as much as he almost didn't want to.

"It is less about what we're doing and more about what she is doing." Togami answered in his usual standoff-ish tone. "I was on my way back from the library a moment ago and spotted her messing around with that machine." He nodded in the direction of what appeared to be some sort of machine that gave you a prize whenever you inserted a coin into it. "She refused to answer my question so I'm refusing to leave until she explains her suspicious behavior."

Naegi turned his attention to Kirigiri who was inserting those strange coins with Monokuma's face on them. So that is what they were for. Naegi remembered finding one the other day during his investigation. In fact he still had it in his pocket. He watched as Kirigiri inserted a single coin each time then carefully popped open every prize pod that came out. Sometimes she would carefully inspect the contents before putting it to one side, or quickly dispose of it without so much of a glance. She must have had an idea of hat she was looking for. After a while, Naegi finally asked for himself.

"Um, what are you doing?"

The lilac haired girl stood back up straight and turned her head to make eye contact. Without a flicker of emotion on her face or in her tone, she replied:

"I'm looking for the emergency button that will open up the main entrance." And with that she resumed her search.

Both Naegi and Togami flinched at the reply. A way out of here? Wasn't that impossible according to Monokuma? As Togami quickly pressed for answers, Kirigiri almost seemed intent on ignoring him, but this time she knew he wasn't going to stop nor make things any easier. She calmly explained that she found some blueprints for the main entrance's large steel doors and on them there was a mention of an emergency button. Said button was also mentioned in some notes found afterwards saying that it was hidden inside a prize capsule. Apparently Monokuma did that to make things more interesting. He was probably trying to get everyone's hopes up with this then expecting the low chance of getting the button to drive people to despair.

His plan was working as in a short space of time, every single student was crowded around the machine and inserting all of the coins they had found. Even Yamada had left his room to help (more like dragged out by Sakura as he was refusing to budge). But coin after coin just brought further despair as nothing but junk came out every time. It wasn't long before they ran out of coins.

"Wait..."

Well, that wasn't true.

"I almost forgot!" Naegi pulled out a coin from his pocket then slowly approached the machine.

By this point almost nobody was hopeful that one more coin would make a difference.

 

That was until they were reminded of something as Naegi inserted the coin.

 

* * *

 

 

"I can't believe this is happening!"

"Can we really d-do this? Is it possible?"

"Shit man, just... fuck me."

 

Various voices echoed in at the main entrance as all of the remaining twelve students stood before the intimidatingly large steel doors that blocked their way to freedom. Who would have thought that last coin used by **Naegi** would actually be the one to get the button? The chance of that was extremely slim even with the ultimate lucky student.

"Thank you." A whisper caught Naegi's attention. He turned to source and smiled, knowing it was Yamada.

"I didn't do anything." He modestly replied.

"Nonsense!" Yamada yelled, instantly annoying almost everyone who was standing around. "I won't have such heroics and grand efforts go without praise! It wouldn't be very fitting not to as this chapter comes to a close!"

Naegi chuckled at that. It was nice to see Yamada being his true self again despite facing the unknown that lurked on the other end of the doors. Listening very carefully he could overhear what the others were talking about among themselves. It sounded like almost everyone were going their separate ways. The only exception appeared to be Oogami and Asahina which made sense since they bonded so quickly. Everyone else had not clicked so easily and understandably wanted to go about their own business. Yet despite only being at the school for a few days, everyone still seemed on edge about leaving. Thinking back on everything, nobody from outside made any attempts to make contact. It implied that there was something bigger than their current situation out there. Then another point came up.

_Monokuma hadn't shown up to stop them._

"I must say, that is rather strange." Yamada commented on the topic nervously. "Perhaps he has gone to get reinforcements? After all, it would take more than himself to stop twelve people from leaving, right?" Naegi shook his head at this."

"No, I have a feeling that's not it." The lucky student retorted. "Whoever is behind all of this would have done something by now. And after all, didn't they put the button in the prize machine in the first place? Why would they do that if they didn't want us to have a chance to escape."

"You have a point there." Yamada sighed with relief. "So... you think they might have wanted us to escape."

"I'm not sure. Maybe, but it doesn't seem as straight forward as that." Naegi tried his best to elaborate. "I think the mastermind was not all in this for our despair alone. In fact, I'm almost sure they expected this whole thing to backfire."

"I still don't follow."

"I think they would have been fine with failing, because then that would cause despair for them."

The larger of the pair let out a gasp, his hands failing to cover his mouth in time.

"You mean... they would have been satisfied with failure? What kind of deranged individual were we dealing with?!"

"Who knows?" Naegi shrugged. 

There was a moment of silence between them as thoughts of the past and the future filled their minds.

 

Just where were they going to go after this? Sure they both wanted to find their loved ones and get back to a normal routine... but was there any of that to go back to? Monokuma was always vague with what was going on outside of the building, but what was seen on the DVD's they were given was proof that something was wrong. Naegi winced as he remembered the footage of his family's encouragement quickly cut to their family home in ruins. Just what on earth happened there and most importantly- were they alive?

No, they had to be. _They just had to._

Curious yet slightly hesitant to ask, Naegi turned his attention to Yamada who was currently cleaning his glasses yet visibly worried.

"Hey, Yamada?" His voice almost made the otaku drop his glasses in surprise. "I was wondering... just what are you plans? Like, where are you going to go from here?"

"Well, isn't it obvious?" Yamada replied as he shakily slid his glasses back on. "I'm going home to see if my family are okay. I assume my house is not in ruins like elsewhere."

That last sentence had the luckster wide eyed in shock. He couldn't let it slide unquestioned.

"What do you mean in ruins?"

His question made Yamada shiver.

"It was just an expression." He insisted, almost coming off as a little defensive.

"Oh, I see." Naegi sadly looked in the direction of the main doors. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't pry into your business. Besides, we're not going to hang around together for much longer so what would be the point?" He shook his head, as if trying to also shake off any negativity about his tone. "Forget what I said. Yamada? Thank you for being such a good friend. I hope, no... I know you-"

"Let me stop you right there." 

"Huh?"

"Who said anything about us going our separate ways? My, my... have you forgotten the promise we made within our hearts?" Although Yamada was speaking in heroics as he usually did, there was an actual hint on seriousness in his tone. In fact, he was staring intently at Naegi. It was almost passionate in some way.

"Yamada what are-" Naegi was silenced as he felt one of his hands get grabbed then held by both of Yamada's.

"I will be _forever_ by your side. Whichever path you travel, _**I shall follow.**_ " For once his cheeks were not going red, as if he were comfortable with saying such things and to another boy no less. "I would very much like to see my mother again and confirm her good health with my own eyes, but she's a strong woman. I'm sure she can endure anything until I return home."

Naegi's face was red partially from embarrassment but also from how overwhelmed he felt from hearing those words. Not attempt to pull his hand away was made either.

"I hate to break up this moment, but we require your attention dudes."

Hagakure's joking voice caught both of their attention, catching them off guard and now making Yamada sweat nervously. They quickly let go of each other then turned to face everyone else who was watching with mixed expressions.

"Naegi, we're ready." Oogami stated, seemingly not bothered by what she just saw moments ago. "We require the doors to be open now."

"Yeah, and we can't do that since you still got the button." Oowada said a little impatiently. "So c'mon, let's bust outta here!"

"Oh, right. S-Sorry." Naegi nervously chuckled.

 

As everyone turned to face the doors, Naegi took a deep breath before gently bringing one finger down to press the button. The controller made a clicking sound and a split second later, some sirens went off. The large gatling guns that were pointing at the doorway ascended into the ceiling before a loud clunk sound came from the doors. They had unlocked and were now slowly opening, letting in bright beams of light from outside fill the room and almost blinding everyone.

This was it. They were finally leaving this place. The sad memories of those who didn't survived still lingered in Naegi's mind, but despite that he still clung onto the hope of everything else turning out fine. There were still so many mysteries left unsolved about Hopes Peak or the mastermind, but that was no longer his concern or anyone else's for that matter.

Just then he felt something brush up against the back of his right hand. He didn't need to look to know that it was another hand... _Yamada's_ to be accurate. He was also sure that wasn't an accident and that the otaku was obviously scared and was simply reaching out for reasons. Naegi didn't need to know what they were, as he was happy to reach out and grab a hold of his friend's hand. Yamada jolted as he certainly was not expecting any attempt to return the gesture. As Naegi turned to softly smile, Yamada smiled back while tugging at the collar of his shirt with his other hand.

Everyone else had already stepped forward into the light and had left the school grounds. It was time. But just as they started moving, Naegi remembered what Monokuma said earlier about a so called secret. It shouldn't have mattered since they were free, but it still bothered him as did many unanswered questions revolving around the matter as to how they got here in the first place. 

"Are you okay?" Yamada asked Naegi before stopping him from walking any further. "You seem to have something on your mind."

Naegi shook his head before turning to face Yamada. Then it had clicked. He remembered what he assumed was the clue Monokuma was going on about. Of course, how could he have missed something so **obvious**. Now smiling and feeling less worried about that particular mystery, he spoke out calmly.

"It's nothing. I'm okay." Naegi reassured. "Come on, we have a long journey ahead of us."

"Ah yes, of course." Yamada agreed. It seemed as though he was willing to drop the previous subject without any questions. 

They continued to walk towards the light. They could hear sounds from outside and smell something a little strange for an outside environment.

 

"Oh, Mr. Makoto Naegi?"

"Yes, Yamada?"

" _We're still holding hands._ " 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that was so long. Next part will hopefully have a much shorter story. 
> 
> Pat on the back for everyone who read every word of this and a bonus pat for spotting the clue too.


	2. Perfection is disgusting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We move onto a pairing I personally don't like, but oddly enough I had fun writing this story. The timeline is set before the events of chapter three.

_**Disgusting.** _

 

Just utterly and truly **_revolting_**.

 

He could just about take the inconvenience of his situation, but for the great Byakuya Togami to be imprisoned with such filthy human trash?

 

**Unforgivable**.

 

The heir was not one to give up though. He was more than capable of surviving and keeping calm even in the worst of times. After all, he was chosen to take over the family business for a reason. Being trapped in a school by some kind of crazy mastermind? Nothing to break down over. He was sure he'd solve the mystery and be free pretty soon. But for now he had to play the 'game' and carry on as if this new lifestyle was normal.

As per usual, he made his way to the library. After the second class trial, most of the students didn't go there. Mainly because the room became available after the first trial and also because not too long ago, two people who died were standing in it once. This didn't bother Togami though. In fact he was glad that nobody else used the library. Now he had it all to himself so he could read to pass the time away. He was also using it for research. Reading books on the minds of killers were the current big read of the moment. As soon as breakfast was over, he'd make his way to the library and sit as his preferred desk with nothing else but a desk lamp and cup of coffee before flicking through the pages of many books.

Unfortunately he was never truly alone as he would desire.

He was used to the mastermind's cameras watching his every move day in day out. In fact he'd almost forgotten about it. No, the issue was another student who thought they were hidden from his view so they could spy on him at their leisure. As a matter of fact he knew where they were every time even if they hid in different spots. For example, he could hear their heavy breathing. If one must spy, then they should learn to breathe in a more controlled manner. And also- _they stink_. It was best not to think about the last time they actually took a shower, but still, some level of hygiene would be decent to maintain for the sake of his sensitive nose.

"I know you are there, Fukawa." He spoke without needing to raise his voice. 

The twitchy writer slowly peeked around the corner of a bookcase and nervously smiled. Togami looked up from his book and frowned. It was fair to say that he was far from amused. Realizing this, Fukawa took tiny yet shaky steps forward. She held one of her braids in both hands, constantly fidgeting with the split ends.

"Is s-something wrong my dear B-Byakuya?" She spoke in her usual stammered and shaken tone.

"Yes. You." Togami answered as direct and to the point as ever. "You stink and you are disturbing me."

"I'm s-sorry! I'll be more quiet!" She apologized yet she was unintentionally speaking louder.

" _Leave_." 

Fukawa looked down at the floor, feeling rejected as always before skulking off. Although she was harshly told to beat it, that never stopped her from coming back. In fact... she did this every single day. The weirdest part of all? It made her happy. Despite being obviously disliked and rejected, she felt amazing every time Togami would look up at her and speak to her. The obsession was that dangerous.

It was also a major problem for Togami as he felt like he would never get anywhere with his studies like this. He needed something to keep Fukawa away.

"Ah, my apologies! Don't mind me."

 

Or maybe he needed someone.

 

_...As much as he'd hate to admit it._

 

Not long after Fukawa had left, in came Yamada who was not exactly hard to miss for various reasons. Just why would he be here? The library didn't stock manga so by that logic there was no reason for the otaku to be taking up the space.

"I do mind." Togami responded sounding more inconvenienced than ever. "Why are you even here?"

"I can guess why you ask such a question, Mr. Byakuya Togami." Yamada turned to face the heir with a smirk on his face. "I have no interest in books flooded with nothing but empty words that profoundly try to sound important but lack any meaning. I have-"

"I didn't ask for your or the library's life story." Togami snapped, cutting off the otaku's ramblings. "Just get whatever you came for and then leave."

"Oh..." Yamada awkwardly coughed into his hand in an attempt to clear his throat. "Very well. I only came to see if there were any art books. I need some references and although my visual memory is outstanding, there are still some parts I require to view with my own eyes." Most likely pictures of naked women. "And since we don't have internet access I-"

"Fine. Just hurry up and get what you need." Togami ordered. 

Without another word, Yamada began to look around the library. It was quite a big place so finding the right section was going to take some time. The more he plodded along and rustled through books, the more annoyed Togami got.

"Would you hurry up already?"

"I'm sorry, but I..." Yamada paused to put the current book he was holding back then turned around. "I don't know where to find what I need! Could you perhaps-"

" _No._ "

"Oh come on, you didn't let me finish!" Yamada shrieked a little as he waved his hands about.

"I have no desire to help you find your stupid picture books."

"What if I did something for you in return if you helped?" Normally Yamada would have just left in a huff, but he was desperate for those references. "Apart from leaving you alone, that is."

Togami glared, making a slight huffing sound as he was up to here with all of this nonsense. Just how hard was it for this simpleton to leave him be? Such nerve. The overweight buffoon was almost as bad as-

_Wait a tick._

Togami's anger suddenly dropped and his facial expression became blank. The sudden stroke of genius hit his mind faster than the dumbbell that took out the last murder victim.

Too soon?

_Fuck it, he didn't care._

"Hey, you." Togami pointed at Yamada who jolted on the spot in surprise.

"I h-have a name y'know..." The larger male nervously replied.

"Yamada-" Togami corrected himself, almost feeling pain from having to be nice to this commoner. "I'd like you to do something for me. In exchange I will help you find what you need."

"Okay. What is it?" Yamada was more nervous than before. He was aware of how ruthless and cunning Togami was. What happened in the previous trial was proof of that.

"I need you to come in here early tomorrow. No later than after breakfast. Understood?." The heir paused to adjust his glasses. The light reflected on the lenses, giving off a slightly sinister vibe. Whatever he had planned outright scared the otaku.

"Is that all?" Yamada asked.

Togami didn't deny or confirm. He simply stared as if Yamada was a moron.

"I'll see you tomorrow morning. Don't be late."

"But I-" He was cut off again, this time by a stone cold glare. "O-Okay! Sounds good! B-Bye!"

And with that said, Yamada scrambled out of the room completely terrified. His reaction seemed a little over the top, but this was usually expected of the flighty nerd. Togami lightly chuckled to himself before returning to his book.

"That'll do nicely..."

 

* * *

 

 

The next morning Yamada dashed to the library. He overslept and had to skip breakfast in order to be there on time. As expected, Togami was already there. He stood at the door with his arms folded and greeted the otaku with his usual not amused look.

"You are almost late." He sighed. "But this isn't too bad I suppose. Come." He commanded, not even making eye contact yet his voice sounded so beckoning. It made Yamada's stomach feel twisted, almost as if the stomach acid was burning through.

Or maybe it was because he hadn't eaten yet.

"So... now what?" Yamada asked nervously. His hands clutched onto his backpack straps tightly as they entered the library. "You told me to come but never explained why."

Togami didn't answer. Instead he walked up to Yamada and began to examine him with his eyes. He mumbled the odd word to himself, with one hand on his chin as he continue to inspect. All Yamada could do was stand there, frozen on the spot as he feared that moving would result in getting shouted at. This was almost as nerve-wrecking as being ordered around by Celes. Eventually the progeny stepped back as he was done and simply spoke with a sickening smirk.

" **Disgusting.** "

"I... I beg your pardon?" Yamada tilted his head to one side as he rubbed the back of his head in confusion.

"You." Togami said bluntly. " _You_  are disgusting."

"I... well I..." Now the otaku was even more confused. Was Togami sharing thoughts with Celes? Oh no, did he have to be a personal butler for two people now?

"Perfect~" Togami still smirked having saying that, making his intentions go from strange to just plain creepy. 

Yamada was starting to sweat now. Just watching Togami pace around with eyes fixed on him just seemed so wrong. Yet Yamada made no attempt to run away. He was complying to anything that was coming. It was almost as if he were getting some sick rush from the experience. At this point he forgot the real reason he came in the first place.

"Don't move." The heir ordered and like an obedient dog, Yamada obeyed.

Now they were inches apart and face to face. Togami could feel Yamada's warm breath on his face and smell a light freshness. At least he brushed his damn teeth this morning. Another certain nerd could learn from that example when it came to hygiene.

"I must admit, your grotesque form has always... _intrigued me._ "

It took a moment for those words to register in Yamada's head. 

Just hold on a flipping second. Who was this and what have they done with the _real_ Byakuya Togami?

"Excuse me?" Was all Yamada could splutter out.

"Quiet." Togami ordered.

Suddenly he reached out and cupped the otaku's chin with one hand. He could feel Yamada's whole body shiver, as if he were about to pull away yet he did not. Instead his small beady eyes widened a little before his hands let go of his backpack straps then fell to his sides. Togami's eye were moving constantly, scanning every inch of the chubby face before him. Nothing was overlooked. Absolutely nothing. Yamada wanted to speak out, but angering the heir was more trouble than it was worth.

" _You'll do_."

That was the last thing said by Togami as he lunged forwards, making Yamada squeeze his eyes shut. He expected a world of pain.

 

Instead he felt the progeny's perfectly silky soft **lips.**

 

There was no doubt that this sudden act of affection was going to force a negative reaction as the recipient was normally against physical interaction. Well, at least with somebody who wasn't fictional. And being another male was a bit of a shocker too. Yamada's arms started to flail about as if his hands were making an attempt to try and pry Togami off, but forgot how to grab onto anything at all. Kissing those strangely shaped lips in such a flawless manner without things turning into a drooling mess was pure talent. Muffled gasps could be both heard and felt from the heir's end which brought some kind of sick satisfaction to him.

However it was nothing like love. God _no_ , he could never stand to enjoy this cretin's company. He was far too refined for that. So the question that came to mind was simply: _Why?_

 

The answer came in the form of a shriek that broke up the kiss.

 

"B-Byakuya?!"

Togami did his best not to smirk and put on his best poker face when he spotted the source of the outcry.

Moving out from behind a bookcase to stand out in the open was Fukawa. Her face was pale with fright, sweat dripping down and her body shook in almost a violent manner. It was almost as if she were about to pass out. Hopefully she would stay conscious as having her other self see this could result in far worse of a scenario.

"You are in love with... t-that filthy pig?!" She stammered, almost wheezing as if she couldn't breathe. "How? Why?" She began to sob out loudly, the stream of tears seemed never ending. "I... I can never forgive you!"

Fukawa bolted for the door, accidentally brushing past the couple as she screamed out like a strangled cat.

Togami felt he could smile again. He stepped away from Yamada then wiped his mouth on the back of his hand.

"What was..." The otaku had a spaced out look on his face. The only part of him that moved was one hand reaching up to take off his glasses. He blinked a few times to adjust to reality. "That was something."

"Bookcase in the far right corner, third shelf down." Togami calmly pointed out as if that kiss never happened.

"Huh?" Yamada turned his attention back to Togami before pulling out a bit of cloth to wipe his spectacles clean. "What did you-"

"The books you require. I will not repeat myself." Togami elaborated before quickly turning his attention to a nearby bookshelf. "Take them and leave. We're done here."

"Now hold on a second-"

"Leave. NOW."

That had to be the first time Yamada heard Togami raise his voice that loud. Not wanting to find out just how dangerous things could get, he quickly scrambled to grab the books he needed. He dropped a few as his arms were shaking along with the rest of his body. But it didn't matter. He just had to grab and run in order to save his skin.

Now alone once more, Togami smiled to himself briefly before returning to his reading.

Never to be disturbed again.

 

* * *

 

 

Later that evening just after having dinner, Togami returned to the library once more. He had a couple of hours before curfew so he felt there was enough time to kill by reading some more. As he sat down on the same chair as usual he could have sworn he heard a rustling sound. Was that him? He checked the chair and then the desk in case he brushed up against something. Everything appeared to be as it should be.

Then he heard it again. It sure as hell weren't Togami as he was sitting still that time. Getting up from the chair he caught something moving from the corner of his eye. Somebody was watching him from the far end of the library.

Guess it was going to take a lot more to get rid of Fukawa.

"What a nuisance." Togami grumbled to himself as he began to slowly approach whoever was attempting to hide behind a bookcase. "I see you. Don't move."

They did as instructed, but it was still hard to make out who was there. The lighting in this part of the library was quite dim. How inconvenient for a place where you try to read. Monokuma was no doubt going to hear of this complaint.

As he got close enough, Togami turned to go around the corner of the bookcase. He froze when his line of sight met the spy's.

"...You?!"

 

_Yamada shakily took a step back and clutched a book to his chest._

 

"Ah... hello there, Mr. Byakuya Togami." He sheepishly greeted. "Fancy seeing you here."

"I'm here every day, you buffoon." Togami crossed his arms and gave his usual disapproving stare. "You had time to get other books while I was gone. Why are you back here?"

"I er... I had some things to do for Mistress Celes." Yamada replied. Something seemed a little off about his response though. The way his eyes shifted made it obvious he was not being truthful.

"I don't have time for this." Togami grumbled. "Leave now."

"Oh... of course! Understood." The otaku awkwardly brushed past Togami, but as he did so, something slid out of the book he was holding. "G-Goodnight!"

And just like before, he made a speedy yet panicked exit. How annoying this felt to Togami. The hopeless nerd didn't bother to pick up his litter. Normally it would go ignored, but there was something on the paper that was eyecatching. Togami picked it up and the very second it was in his hand, he let out a gasp.

"What on earth..."

It was a drawing. The details were very well done as expected of Yamada, but there were many things wrong with it in terms of the subject. There were some exaggerations with the body's build and the eyes were a little bigger. This was considered common with most manga styles. The subject was almost naked. Almost because Yamada hadn't gotten around to drawing that part yet. Surrounding the subject were hastily doodles love hearts, as if the hand drawing them was shaking. The dedication and clear obsessive nature behind this piece of art sent cold chills throughout Togami's whole body as the truth hit him harder than a million baseballs.

Too soon? Like he gave a _damn_ because-

"D-Disgusting..."

 

Because the subject in Yamada's drawing was **Togami himself.**

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The moral of the story is never become Byakuya Togami. Next story will be about a female character with Yamada this time.


	3. Just keep swimming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now for some Yamada/Asahina.
> 
> Dedicating this part to DinRedfire for being supportive of my work and for also being a fellow Yamada appreciator.

Ever since the swimming pool was made accessible after the first class trial, Asahina was always first to swim about in it every single day from then on. It quickly got to the point where she was the only one using it since everyone else were either more interested in other matters (mainly getting out of there) or were too upset. Although she understood the circumstances, a dip in the pool was routine and helped in a relaxing way. 

As time went on Asahina soon found herself swimming alone. Sakura was usually always up for spending time with her, but even the warrior began to grow a little tired of swimming. The gym was more preferable. But the ultimate swimmer was okay with this. She'd never pressure or force anyone into swimming if they didn't want to. And hey, having a pool all to herself sounded like fun... at first.

The lonely sound of hearing only herself splashing about was slowly crushing her enthusiasm. One of the reasons she got into swimming was to hear encouraging cheers from supporters or witnessing the intense skills of a rival swimmer. Floating around alone in a pool this big was depressing. It got to the point where she wouldn't even change into a swimming costume anymore. She'd just take off her shoes and socks to dip her feet. It didn't take long for the others to notice as Asahina was hanging around other places or would try and hang out with anyone who did not seem busy.

One morning after breakfast she told herself to stop being so mopey and try to find new ways to be happy. Swimming was her dream, but it wasn't her life- well, it kind of was, but she didn't want to destroy her own pep talk in record time. She settled on one last dip in the pool for good luck before meeting up with Sakura later for training. As she got to the doors that lead to the pool, she slipped her shoes and socks off then set them down. The very moment she walked inside, she spotted another pair of shoes near the door frame.

"Huh?" She stepped closer to examine them but it was then she heard someone call out.

 

_"Miss Aoi Asahina?"_

 

Looking up then turning around in the direction where the voice came from, she noticed Hifumi Yamada, sitting near the shallow end of the pool. He was simply chilling as he dipped his feet into the water. Needless to say, seeing him here was a surprise.

"Yamada? What are you doing here?" Asahina asked whilst slowly walking up to him.

"I needed to relax and clear my mind." He answered with an shrug. He didn't seem too sure about his reason. "I must say, I was not expecting to see you here what with your recent dwindling interest in swimming."

"Hey, I'm not giving up on swimming okay? I just..." She trailed off as she sat down to dip her own feet into the pool. That feeling of a sharp coolness that runs through the toes always felt good to her. "I'm looking for more things to cheer me up, y'know?"

"Oh, I see." Yamada stroked his chin. "Maybe I can be of assistance?"

Normally Asahina (or anyone else for that matter) would avoid such an offer coming from Yamada. He sometimes made inappropriate remarks which fitted his character type all too well. But he probably didn't mean to... most of the time at least. And figuring that she was out of ideas anyway, an exception was made. What's the harm?

"Sure." She nodded with a smile.

For a short while they talked about all of the possibilities. The first one suggested was predictably something to do with drawing manga. Asahina quickly dismissed it as she lacked confidence for it. Despite Yamada's kind words and encouragement, the answer was still no. He took that with a pinch of salt and moved onto the next few ideas. Most of them involved the same talents as their classmates, to which Asahina was either unsure or felt that would be rude. Lastly they talked about doing small things like reading, cooking and even cleaning.

"Hmm... well I'm afraid I am out of ideas-" Yamada quickly cut off his negativity with a more confident remark. "For now. I shall not let this defeat me. I do not fall that easily despite what others think!" He held his head high and let out a laugh.

"You really are a funny guy, Yamada." Asahina chuckled, not letting on which kind of funny she meant. "So you said you came here to relax?"

"Indeed." He replied simply. "I usually would hang around in my room, but er..." He began to chuckle, his voice shifting to a deeper tone which made it sound a little sinister. "It is hard to accomplish certain _things_ when there are **_watchful eyes_**."

He must have meant the cameras that Monokuma had places just about everywhere. It was best not to think about what _'things'_ he wanted to get up to. That slightly gross implication aside, they were able to continue their conversation and learnt quite a bit about one another. Who knew that aside from a couple of turn offs, Yamada was actually a nice and approachable person. Asahina felt a little guilty looking back on the times where she'd avoid him on purpose, especially when he was trying to be helpful.

Maybe an apology was in order? A fresh start and something to celebrate the new friendship.

"Yamada, I'm-"

 

Or notice the clock on the far wall indicated that she was now **half an hour late** to meet up wit Sakura.

  
"Oh, crap!"

Yamada flinched from the sudden outburst.

"Hmm? Is something the matter?"

"I gotta go. I promised Sakura we'd train together this morning!" The swimmer got up, taking a moment to be careful so she did not slip. "I'm sorry, I hate to just bail on our conversation like this."

"It is fine. I wouldn't want you to be late because of me." Yamada happily insisted whilst making a friendly shooing gesture to encourage her to run along. "I understand."

He almost wanted to say that he was used to people running away after talking to him, but that would have been a bit sad to admit.

"Okay, I'll catch you later or some other time, yeah?"

"Of course. I look forward to it~"

The pair of them could not stop smiling, even when they were both no longer making eye contact.

As Asahina dashed out, she almost forgot to grab her own shoes. The combination of rushing to meet Sakura and feeling giddy had made her slip her mind.

 

* * *

 

 

Luckily, Sakura was very forgiving and wasn't even bothered by Asahina's tardiness. She was very concerned for a short while before the swimmer showed up. In fact, the warrior was pondering on searching every room available until she found her best friend. With what happened before, there was still a huge risk of history repeating itself. After the training session, the two friends took a shower before heading for the cafeteria for lunch.

"I'm going to eat soooo many doughnuts!" Asahina giggled. There was a cute little spring in her step from thoughts about various kinds of icing. Pink sprinkles sounded yummy right about now.

Sakura chuckled quietly as they entered the facility.

They were late to the lunch rush as most of the students had already come and gone. The place was quiet, until the startling sound of something hitting the floor and shattering into many bits caught attention.

 

"Oh man!"

"Honestly, you are so _useless._ "

 

At the smallest table across the room sat Celes and standing nearby all twitchy and on edge was Hagakure. On the floor was what used to be a teacup, the contents now just a steaming puddle. The hapless fortune teller switched to an apologetic stance, both hands clasped together as he spouted something that was too fast to understand.

"I asked for _ **ROYAL** _ milk tea." Celes scolded. As usual her tone was calm and words were softly spoken, yet there was still a hint of danger from her presence.

Wait, was Hagakure... _serving her tea?_

Curious as to why this was happening, Asahina and Sakura slowly approached the table with concerns.

"Celes? Hagakure? What is going on?" Asahina asked sounding a little perplexed. 

The gambler's response seemed a little delayed, not in a sense that she was slow to notice the other girls. In fact it was most defiantly because she didn't wan't to converse. This whole thing was just unnecessary and inconvenient. Still, she sighed before answering anyway.

"I asked Hagakure to make me some tea, but he had failed such a simple task." She explained whilst making no effort to make eye contact.

"Well if it were that simple, then why don't YOU do it?" Hagakure grumbled, but was quickly silenced by a soul-piercing glare from Celes.

"Pardon me for assuming-" Sakura said with her arms folded and stance still as strong as ever. "Isn't it usually Yamada's job to do this?"

"You are correct." Celes nodded, now smiling but her tone hadn't changed. She was still a little pissed off. "He was supposed to meet me here at exactly 12.30 as per usual, but never showed. Hagakure claimed that he saw Yamada leaving here half an hour before our usual lunch time."

"That's right!" Hagakure smiled, forgetting that he was still in trouble.

"And because this incompetent _ant_ didn't even try to stop Yamada, I had to make do with having him serve me instead." She shook her head lightly.

"How was I supposed to know? I'm not your servant tracker!" Hagakure snapped.

Another deadly glare in his general direction shut him up instantly.

"Have you tried looking for him?" Asahina asked.

"No." Celes replied. "Why should I run after that _lazy pig_ when it is his duty to turn up on time?"

Now she was starting to sound mad, in fact... for a split second she frowned and man did it not make her look any prettier.

On another note, Asahina was trying to contain her own annoyance, but directed at Celes. Sure, Yamada willingly decided to serve Celes when he could have just walked away, but how dare she talk about him like that! Nobody deserved to be abused in such a way. She felt guilty about all the times she looked the other way whenever Yamada was yelled at. Maybe now was a good time to start sticking up for him as a friend and help him get out of a toxic situation?

But first she needed to see where he'd got to.

After lunch with Sakura, they parted ways and she ran off to search the floors currently open.

 

* * *

 

 

The search was starting to seem fruitless.

 

He wasn't in the AV room or Gym. Then again, he never seemed very interested in such places. 

Knocking on his room door did nothing. Neither did knocking on everyone else's and pissing them off in the process.

The library was occupied, but only by a disgruntled Togami who was quick to tell her to leave. If he didn't want to be disturbed, then why wasn't he doing the same to Fukuwa who was lurking behind a bookcase? 

Along the way she asked whoever she'd bump into. Fujisaki seemed quick to get out of the conversation as if she were running late for something. How unlike her to just rudely run off like that. Moments later that attracted the attention of Ishimaru who yelled out that it was against the rules to run around in the hallway. After getting his attention, he too was clueless as to where Yamada had gotten to. 

This was hopeless. There were still a couple of places left to visit, but it felt like even if they were checked out- he'd just move elsewhere. The never-ending chase or something like that.

"I need to cool off..." The swimmer murmured as she slowly paced towards her room. "I think I'll go for a quick dip."

After grabbing her swimming costume, she made her way to the girls changing room then after headed for the pool. It figures that as soon as she tried to find other things to do, she ends up back at her starting point. Coming full circle was not exactly thrilling. That loud splash coming from the pool area was disturbing her thoughts too.

_...Wait a tick._

Carefully tip-toeing closer, she placed her hands on the doors then gently pushed one open a little. Peeking though the gap, she couldn't see anybody about. Then a loud splash made her jump, also causing the doors to swing shut in front of her face. That was almost a broken nose in the making right there. Being a little more cautious this time, she peeked into the room before realizing she had no need to sneak about like this. The pool was open to everyone after all. Why treat anyone using it as suspicious? 

Asahina could imagine some of the others laughing at her ditzy actions right about now.

Frowning after that thought, she confidentially swung the doors open and entered the area. She stopped dead in her steps as awkward eye contact was made with the person splashing about.

 

**_Yamada._ **

 

She cursed herself out loud for not guessing he would be here. Then again, he never came across as the swimming type. Yet there he was, now floating on his back with both hands resting on his stomach like an otter. It was strangely relaxing to just watch him float about with a content look on his face. It was almost, dare she think of it as...

_Cute._

That moment of bliss was cut short though as Yamada quickly caught on that he no longer alone. Startled by this, he flailed about in the water and went under for a brief moment. Asahina panicked and was about to run to his aid, but he quickly resurfaced.

"Are you okay?" She carefully walked over to the edge of the pool before squatting down.

"Y-Yeah..." Yamada took deep breaths. "I was in my own little world. I honestly didn't hear you enter, so spotting you like that startled me."

"I sorry about that. I was just so surprised to see you here is all." Asahina explained.

"But you've seen me here before..."

"Not like... swimming in the pool!" She gestured one hand to the water.

"Oh... well, I guess that makes sense." He mumbled something about knowing this was a bad idea before swimming to the edge near Asahina. "I'm guessing you need the pool, so I'll take my leave." As he began to hoist himself out, he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder.

"Wait, you don't have to leave!" She insisted. "This pool is for everyone and besides... it is no fun swimming on my own."

That was a little hard to admit, but it was the truth. Besides, she was a little curious to see more from Yamada. 

"Well, if it is okay with you... then I shall stay!" He perked up instantly, smile wide and cheeks reddening from the flattering thought of a girl wanting his company. 

Within moments they were both in the pool, splashing water at each other playfully and generally messing about. Despite being a little blind without his glasses, Yamada had no problem navigating around the pool and also relied on sound and the rippling water as a guide.

"So..." Asahina spoke up, putting a slight end to the fooling around. "What is your preferred technique?" 

"Well I do enjoy being able to nullify an enemy's special attack in battle, along with-"

"I meant, like, **swimming.** "

"Oh."

They both floated around awkwardly. Yamada rubbed the top of his head where his now flattened ahoge once pointed up.

"I like the backstroke." He paused, looking a little lost at what he was trying to say. "I think that is what you meant, right?"

"Yeah. The backstroke is pretty neat!" The pro swimmer was genuinely impressed that somebody like Yamada could even do a doggy paddle. His whole physique pretty much gave off the impression that he avoided exercise. "Think you could show me?"

Yamada seemed hesitant but nodded. He moved into the deeper part of the pool before leaning back into the position. Once he felt steady and ready, he began to gently paddle his surprisingly skinny legs and rotated his arms in circular movements. He seemed a little nervous at first, but quickly got into the feeling of it and began to show a little more confidence. He was like a happy manatee. From a professional's point of view it was not all that impressive nor above average. Asahina could care less. It was just nice to watch someone else swim for a change and just as importantly, she had somebody new to watch her in turn.

"That's great, Yamada!" She giggled, swimming closely by his side as he paddled along. "Y'know, maybe one day we should race each other!"

He more or less flailed out of his position in surprised before briefly going under again. Composer regained, he sighed and shook his head. 

"You expect too much from me, Miss Aoi Asahina." Yamada rubbed his shoulder and glanced away for a moment. ""I need to unlock certain skills before I can take on the final boss."

By this point it was easier to understand his typical nerd talk.

"I think you could be good enough with some practice." Asahina said encouragingly, even going as far reaching out to touch his shoulder again. He beaming smile and faith almost rubbed off him.

"Y-You think so?" Was that a hint of upset in his voice? It was similar to when a person is close to tears of happiness.

"Sure!" She nodded before letting go. "I guess for now we could go through the basics again. Maybe you'll learn more from watching me too yeah?"

Now fully sharing the same enthusiasm, Yamada nodded then dramatically pointed up at the ceiling.

"May the gods be entertained by our quest and guide us well!"

Such goofy dramatics used to be lost on Asahina, but for once she found it amusing and even copied his actions.

"Yeah! Let's do this!"

As they warmed up a little before getting into the first lesson, Yamada could have sworn he saw tears forming in his friend's eyes. He didn't question it, in fact... he knew that she was experiencing something he had felt before.

 

_Happiness._

Pure and blissful happiness.

 

From then on they agreed to meet up a little while after lunch to swim around in the pool together. As the day came to an end, Asahina found herself feeling warm and giddy for some reason as she lay down on her bed. This feeling was a little different to the joy she experienced earlier. It almost bothered her, but at the same time she wanted to feel more of it. Like whenever she bit into a doughnut and after tasting the sweet goodness, crave about seven more. No, wait... it was a more intense need than that. Something better than doughnuts? Goodness. She must have fallen hard for whatever this was.

Maybe more like _**whoever**_ it was.

"Oh noooo..." She quietly whined before placing a pillow over her face. Despite feeling embarrassed about what she figured out, the desire stayed and in between every groan came a giggle.

Her heart began to beat a little quicker than usual.

 

* * *

 

 

Three days later, Monokuma had everyone gather in the gym once more. They all more or less assumed that this was going to be a new motive as it had been some time since the previous murder. The mastermind had to admit as they watched everyone through the cameras that they let the ball drop on stopping the students from forming bonds. Oowada, Ishimaru and Fujisaki seemed to have a strong circle of friendship going on. Naegi and Kirigiri seemed a little bit closer too. Then there was the more obvious friendship between Asahina and Sakura. But they also thought that the stronger the bond, the more there was to lose. And oh, if such a thing were to happen- then the despair would be overwhelming. The mere thought excited them to the point of bouncing in their seat. Time to get to work.

"So you bastards have been getting real friendly with each other, hmm?" Monokuma paced about on the podium he usually stood. "Well we shall see how much you value friendship after this!"

He reached behind his back and somehow pulled out a pawful of long white envelopes. Each one had a student's name on. Before anyone could question what they were, the snickering bear threw them up into the air, causing them to scatter. One by one, each student picked up their envelope and carefully took out the piece of paper inside. Collective gasps of shock and horror echoed in the room as each one was read.

Asahina was both confused yet terrified at what was on hers.

 

**_"Asahina has a crush on Yamada."_ **

 

No, this can't be right. How would Monokuma even know such a thing? Not that it were true, after all- an athlete such as herself falling for a large, awkward goofball like Yamada? Nope, not possible. It was not like she got excited to meet up with him every day after lunch. That was more or less the desire to swim. There was no way his dorky smile made her smile back out of interest. It was just impolite not to is all. Sure she laughed as his goofiness and jokes, but that meant nothing. And yeah, he listened to her, but that doesn't mean he deserves a pat on the back for that. None of this made the friendship feel like anything more.

Her heart was beating quite similar to how it has been for the past four nights.

Thinking about it in more detail, it wasn't that she couldn't find him attractive. It was quite easy to overlook the obesity and strange dress sense. Heck, other students looked weirder in her opinion. I mean, have you seen how ridiculous Hagakure's hair his? Yamada was sweet once you opened up to him. So much so that it was hard not to laugh along with him instead of at him. Smile when he smiled. Wanting to hug him in a way that you'd feel the delightful squish of his body pressing up against-

 

Oh no, she had it _really bad._

 

"Asahina?"

Her internal panic was brought to an abrupt end by the familiar gruff sound of Sakura's voice.

"Huh?" Blinking as she snapped out of it, she turned to face her best friend who seemed a little more than concerned.

"Are you okay? You've been standing there staring into space for a while." The warrior asked.

"Oh y-yeah, just wasn't expecting this..." Asahina quickly slipped the paper back inside the envelope then slid it inside her jacket. "So what was the point of this?"

The annoyed voice of the esteemed Byakuya Togami spoke up.

"Well perhaps if you didn't get lost inside of your own empty head, you would have heard the whole reason why Monokuma handed out our secrets."

He became quiet when Sakura looked over her shoulder to glare at him. No way was he scared, just that... he had no further interest in explaining. Yeah, that was it.

"To keep it short-" Celes spoke up, continuing where Togami had left off. "If there is no murder by midnight, then he will reveal all of our secrets via a live broadcast to the entire world."

Those last few words weighed down Asahina's spirit, almost as if devilish hands from hell were about to sprout from the ground then pull her down.

"However, we shall not let such trivial things drive us to such drastic measures!" Ishimaru declared with such brimming faith it was almost embarrassing to hear.

"Bro, I hate to piss on you like this but... that is bullshit." Said Oowada.

"But think of it this way-" The prefect was hardly swayed nor upset by even his best friend's doubts. "If we all tell each other our secrets, then we won't feel so bad them later! I mean, we are just a small group of individuals. The world is so vast and forgetful. Over time our secrets will fade away from billions of minds!"

"Y-You aren't helping by reminding us about t-the population!" Fukawa stammered angrily.

"Not everyone here would be up for telling anyway." Hagakure stated. "I dunno about you guys, but I'm way too embarrassed about it! I'd die!"

"You would most likely die anyway at this rate." Celes giggled lightly. "I mean, your survival rate here was pretty low to begin with~"

"Don't saaaay thaaaaat!" He whined in response.

"I think Ishimaru's idea might work." Naegi seemed almost sure about it, yet the way he cupped his chin in thought said otherwise. "All it would take is one person to be brave and take the first step, right?"

There were some collective nods, but also doubtful groans and skittish looks. Finally in what felt like hours, Kirigiri spoke up.

"I believe Naegi has a point." She paused to turn and look at everyone, ignoring any comments made about her being so late to the conversation as usual. "If we all agree on meeting up before the deadline, I'm almost positive that getting it off of our chests will help. I understand it will be hard for some of you, but if it means preventing another pointless loss of life and giving the mastermind the satisfaction of getting what they want- we should give it a chance."

Again, more doubtful looks were exchanged among everybody.

 

Telling everyone she loved Yamada?

No, there was no way at all. Asahina had a feeling her secret was nowhere near as bad as certain others, but it would still feel like the end of her world. But if she didn't then do it then it would be the same thing if she got killed. 

But what if _Yamada died?_

Now the guilt was setting in stronger than before. It's hold practically paralyzed her, legs feeling heavy and stomach churning up painfully. Sure it would suck for her to suffer humiliation, but that was quickly swept to one side. The well being of another must always come first. Besides, the world finding out about her crush? Sure there will be people who will pick on that, but most people who have feelings for another are usually fine with making any sacrifice.

It was time to take a page out of that book of morality and set things straight.

Eventually everyone split up and went about their usual business, attempting to ignore the latest threat in hopes that it would magically vanish.

 

* * *

 

 

Pressing the doorbell for the third time in a row made it obvious that whoever was behind Yamada's door was desperate to see him. In a way he almost wanted to avoid answering the unexpected guest as it could very well be a killer. He didn't rate his chances, even compared to Hagakure's. However it might have been Celes and last thing he wanted to do was piss her off.

"Coming!" He called out although it was pointless. The rooms were soundproof, so no way anyone would have heard him.

He opened the door a little bit a peeked through to see that it was Asahina. With a sigh of relief he let her inside and closed the door behind him. It only took a second to pick up on how nervous she was and said nervousness spread to the otaku himself.

"Miss Aoi Asahina, how may I be of assistance?" He politely asked, yet also tried to not sound shaky.

There was no response as she kept her back to him.

"I'm afraid I cannot help if you don't speak to me." He said with a vaguely annoyed tone. " Come now, I know we're both scared of the deadline, but still-"

 

**"I... I like you..."**

 

The swimmer finally said it, her body trembling the more she quietly repeated it.

"I _r-really_... like you."

Yamada was stunned into silence. He tried to reassure himself that it was meant in a platonic way and nothing serious. Although he couldn't deny that he was flattered from somebody so pretty finding him even remotely attractive. But he liked 2D women only. Nothing could top the perfection that only fiction could master. On the other hand, Asahina is the first girl who genuinely wanted to spend time with him. Celes only wanted him as a server and nothing more. Despite the fact he got some pleasure out of being bossed around, it was not a healthy introduction to the world of romancing a woman.

He had to let her down as much as it hurt. His dedication to 2D was that strong.

**_"I like you too."_ **

At least that was what he kept telling himself up until this moment.

"R-Really?" A teary eyed Asahina looked up from the floor, yet still kept her back to Yamada.

No, no, no. He was supposed to let her down gently! Quickly add in a 'as a friend' or 'but I only like 2D' even if it sounds awkward.

And yet-

 

_To hell with it all._

He **wanted** this.

She did too.

 

 _Time to take on a risky plot point_ \- was more or less Yamada's thought on the situation.

 

He gently approached Asahina, his presence finally getting her to turn around and look up at him with glistening blue eyes. Instinctively he reached out with one hand to wipe away the tears that flowed down her cheeks. She raised a hand ready to pull away, but instead gripped onto his cardigan sleeve. With trembling hands and short weak breaths between them, they instantly knew there was no going back and any doubts or worries were nothing but dust. Suddenly there were hands gripping onto Yamada's shirt moments before he was yanked down to Asahina's level.

It wasn't clear if she started the kiss first or he anticipated the move and dove in, but neither cared about such a trivial detail.

Soft lips almost giving off such a sweet taste- Yamada wished he pursued something like this sooner. They pulled away, taking a moment to stare into each other's eyes as if questioning what just happened. It didn't last as Asahina swung her arms around Yamada's neck to lift herself up for another kiss. There was a gasp, quickly muffled by lips. Despite happily returning the kiss, Yamada worried about putting his hands anywhere. It wasn't because he didn't have a clue about where to hold a woman, but more on the line of messing it up somehow. He tried to hurry along his thoughts for ideas.

Asahina pressing herself up against him didn't help. Goodbye thoughts- _nothing but garbled nonsense now._

His hands finally found their way to the swimmer's back. Large fingers lightly stroked downwards before getting a gentle hold on her sides. He was surprised to feel a lot more muscle than anticipated. They pulled back once more, breathless with red cheeks. Feeling satisfied, Asahina let go and took a moment to compose herself. Yamada did the same by straightening his tie and pushing his glasses back up. He soon noticed they were a little bit foggy.

A sudden realization hit Asahina as her eyes caught sight of the **security camera** in the room.

"...Well, looks like we gave Monokuma a bit more to work with." She chuckled nervously. "You know what? Screw it. Hey, Monokuma? You enjoy that?!" She yelled at the camera, pulling at her cheeks and sticking her tongue out in a taunting manner.

"Forget him." Yamada paused to finish wiping his glasses clean. "I must say though I... I never thought..."

He didn't need to finish as Asahina was more than aware of what the quivering otaku wanted to say. In a way she almost felt the same a few days ago. Normally somebody like her would never set foot near Yamada. In fact, she was sure she did not care about having a boyfriend at all.

_Boyfriend._

The more she thought about that word, it more it stuck. She liked it.

"So... now what?" Yamada asked, spectacles now back on his face.

"Easy." Asahina replied. "We go meet everyone in the hall like we talked about before... then tell them our secrets."

"That escalated quickly!" Yamada recoiled at that response. 

It was getting close to ten at night. Normally the curfew began at that time and everybody would go to their rooms, but after discussing things more, there was a suggestion that everyone met at the gym and had a heart to heart. Two hours before Monokuma revealed all their secrets to the world. There was a chance that not everyone would show up or even talk about their secret. But if it at least made people trust each other a bit more or prevented another murder, then it was worth a shot. Despite explaining this, Yamada still seemed unsure.

"I'm not even sure I'm ready to tell my secret..." He murmured.

"Well, you can tell me. I won't judge." Although support was important in a relationship, Yamada's unsure expression reminded Asahina that sometimes giving time was valued too. "But if you don't want to, I understand. You take all the time you need and whenever you are ready... I'm always ready to listen."

Just hearing that made Yamada want to sob so many happy tears.

"T-Thank you, Miss-"

"Just call me Aoi. It makes things easier." She spoke softly. "It also makes sense since we're closer now."

"Thank you... Aoi." It felt so strange to call somebody by only their first name. Even more so since she was the first person Yamada had ever gotten close to. 

"No problem. Still, we should go and see if the others will be at the gym."

Yamada nodded, watching as Asahina lead the way by opening the door. As sh swung it open, she hung about near the doorway as if hesitating to go forward. She looked over her shoulder then made a grabbing gesture with her hand. Did she want to hold hands? The mere thought had Yamada blushing again. Getting closer only to have his larger hand get snatched up by her tinier tanned one confirmed this.

"I'm gonna get my secret out of the way first if possible." She spoke with such determination. 

"Oh?" Yamada raised one eyebrow with intrigue.

"Yeah. I'm going to both admit then confirm that I'm in love with my _**boyfriend~**_ "

It took a moment for that word to sink in.

"That's wonderful n- **BOYFRIEND?!** "

 

Oh how glorious it felt to hear when it did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It feels like things get more passionate with each story. Not intentional, I swear. I have no idea who to do next so if there are any requests then now is the time.


	4. Karaoke Night!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for lack of updates. Life stuff and other things. Y'all know how it goes. I only get to update when I have free time.
> 
> As requested, here is Yamada/Maizono. I struggled a bit, mainly because during drafts it wouldn't save so I had to redo a lot of content.
> 
> Warning mainly for assault.

The night before graduation for final year students at Hopes Peak was usually considered a time for celebration.

However for Hifumi Yamada, he preferred the usual routine of sitting at his desk in his room, working on his comics. It had been a few years since he started attending and in that time he evolved from an unbearable, smut drawing elitist to a much more mild mannered, modest artist. He still did smut on the odd occasion... _for the right price of course_. He had since moved on from Buuko and his obsession with her faded into a nostalgic memory more than anything else. He still kept some of his collection although most of it was packed away in a box for the one day he'd move out of his family home. His room was not as overwhelming overdecorated with anime merchandise as prior the early years of his education. Like most things over time, his surrounds matured along with his personality. Some habits still die hard (in the case of arguing with Fukawa), but things were certainly much better for him and his friends.

Speak of the devil, his cell phone vibrated on the desk for what could have been the tenth time since he sat down. As much as he wanted to ignore it, he had to make sure it was not a serious matter.

 

_"dude wat iz up? neags said u werent answeing wat the dilly?"_

 

Nope, it was just Hagakure. Since this morning, Yamada's classmates were talking about going to a Karaoke bar to celebrate. It seemed pretty irresponsible since they needed to be sober for the next day, but Naegi insisted that everyone was just having water or juice. With trouble makers like Kuwata, Hagakure and Oowada being there, the chances of anyone laying off the booze seemed highly unlikely. Most of them were not even of legal age to purchase or drink to begin with. Hagakure was, but usually he was too broke and scrounging off minors was not a good idea.

With a heavy sigh, Yamada contemplated on switching his phone off until it started to ring. He almost dropped in the shock, even letting out a startled yelp as it vibrated in his hand. The caller ID said it was Maizono. She was probably going to talk him into going to the meet up tonight too. Not wanting to let it ring off and being the gentleman he normally was, Yamada swiped the flashing answer tab on the touchscreen before lifting it to his ear.

"Miss Maizono?" Despite being friends with the talented pop sensation, he still kept to formal greetings with her and everyone. Another old habit.

"Yamada? Hi!" Maizono cheerfully greeted on the other end. "We've all been trying to get a hold of you for hours now!"

"I know. For the karaoke meet up tonight, right?" Yamada sighed, not sounding too enthralled. "I'm sorry, I'm not going."

"Oh no, why? Has something happened?" The blue haired idol sounded concerned as if something as horrible as an accident had occurred. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. It is nothing like that, don't worry!" The otaku reassured, now leaning back in his chair. "I just don't feel like going."

"But I thought you liked karaoke?" She brought up.

"Well yeah, but I don't really do that so much these days. Even with convention friends I just don't have the energy to sing along to the same old song choices after a long day at the stalls and artists tables." He was now glancing up at the ceiling, already a little bit tired with having to give reasons. "And it is not like this will be the last time we'll see each other, right? We still have the graduation ceremony and anything that follows."

The total silence on Maizono's end suddenly gave off the impression that wasn't the case.

"...Are you still there?" Yamada asked worryingly. Maybe they lost the signal?

"...I'm here. Sorry about that." The idol chuckled as if she had been distracted by something. She wasn't really that ditzy at all, but sometimes she would do or say something that struck as odd. "Well, if you don't want to come then that is fine, but..." The way she trailed off had Yamada worried.

"But? Is there something wrong, Miss Maizono?" He asked.

"I... um..." She just kept trailing off, her tone starting to sound a little upset. "Would it be okay if we... talked?"

"Um, sure." Well he wasn't about to turn away a friend who clearly sounded upset for some reason. "What ever is the matter?"

"Huh? Oh, n-nothing... just want to catch up is all." There was that hesitant attitude again. She was not convincing anyone with that.

"I may be a fool as times, but I can certainly tell that everything is not okay, Miss Maizono." Yamada leaned on his desk with one elbow as his free hand pulled open a drawer. "How long do you have until the meet up tonight?"

"About four hours." She replied. "Why?"

"Let's meet up at that little fast food place that opened up last month." He rummaged through various bits of paper until he a slip of paper with the address on. "I think a little face to face might help."

"Oh, okay." She seemed a little nervous but never thought to decline the offer. "See you there soon? Would in an hour be okay?"

"Sure thing. Until then, take care~"

"Bye~"

As he hung up, Yamada slowly leaned back into his chair and raised one hand to cover his face. He sighed into his hand, muffling his own grumblings as to how he broke his own promise to never leave the house tonight. So much for that. However, he valued his friends more than his own well being these days as was determined to see through whatever Maizono's problem was till the end. He had to blame Naegi for this. That guy was such a positive influence on everybody. It was hard to not pick up his good traits.

 

* * *

 

 

Arriving at the meeting place as promised, Yamada looked through a window to see that Maizono was already inside, sitting at a booth in the far corner. Upon entering the establishment, she had quickly spotted the otaku and waved him over.

"I ordered us some shakes. I hope you don't mind." She smiled warmly before sliding a rather large strawberry milkshake over to Yamada's side.

"Oh, why thank you~" He graciously nodded before quickly taking a sip. It was a long walk to the place, so he was pretty thirsty. "So... talk to me. What is on your mind?" He wasted no time getting to the important matters.

He wasn't expecting Maizono to actually tell him so quickly and in a casual way.

"Oh, Kuwata and I broke up again."

As much as Yamada wanted to be surprised, this wasn't anything new. He couldn't even bring himself to fake a shocked expression, feeling that would be insulting. The idol and baseball star had been dating on and off for years and usually they broke up over the same issues. With Kuwata, it was his skirt chasing habits. Usually said skirts were _not_ worn by Maizono. As for herself, she sometimes fluctuated from being distant to very clingy. Nobody could ever figure out just why she acted like that, yet Naegi was always the first person to tell everyone to cut her some slack. Perhaps he knew something.

"I'm sorry." Yamada reached out to lightly squeeze his friend's hand. 

"It's okay. We've always kept breaking up, but luckily we've ended on a good note this time." She looked up to smile at Yamada as her tiny delicate fingers gripped onto his much larger hand.

"What do you mean by that?" He asked, curiosity peaked as normally they broke up after a heated argument.

"We just both calmly came to the mutual agreement that we were better off just being friends is all." She seemed to be telling the truth as her tone never once hitched as she spoke. "Besides, he'll be flying overseas for his first big league match of the season. He's going to be real busy from now on."

"Aren't we all?" Yamada sighed, his mind set on his never ending pile of scripts and scribbles for his own work.

"True." Maizono nodded. "But it is better this way. I always knew the real reason Kuwata wanted to date me was so he could live the rockstar life, even if that was just a phase."

"Huh?" Yamada had finally noticed they were still holding hands before awkwardly letting go. "Um, pardon me if this is a misunderstanding but... _did he use you?_ "

"I wouldn't say that." She replied sound nonchalant about it all. "I knew from the start yet I still willingly went along with it. If I didn't want to feel used, then I would not have dated him to begin with. I like to think that in a way... I _helped_ him realize what he really wanted to do with his life. At least we both had some good times along the way." She smiled as if this was a normal thing to do. "Besides, if anyone knows what it really feels like to use somebody, then... hmm. On second thought, _that doesn't matter._ "

It was hearing all of this that made Yamada feel as if he never truely knew Maizono to begin with. To him this all seemed a little messed up. However he still felt he was not in a position to judge. As much as he didn't want to, he let the whole thing slide to carry on the conversation.

"So... what plans do you have after graduation?" He asked before taking another sip of his milkshake to calm the nerves.

"Well, the girls and I-" She of course was talking about her fellow idols who sang beside her. "We've decided to do our own thing from now on." Another so called _mutual agreement_. She was making a lot of those recently. "Yourself?"

"Ah, you know... the usual." Yamada chuckled nervously. His old self would have had a field day talking about his ideas in full explicit detail, happily going on and on all day. But not today. He was a little tired to talk about himself for longer than need be. "I'll be moving to my own place next year. I saved up most of my earnings from my freelance work so I'll be taking my first step to having my own studio!"

"That's wonderful!" Miazono giggled. "You've worked really hard to get this far, Yamada. You deserve it~"

"Oh gosh, no need for that!" The otaku modestly rubbed the back of his head, blushing a little.

An hour and three shakes later, the pair walked outside to part ways. It felt good to talk about nothing and everything. Usually Yamada would just quickly text or type in chatrooms online without paying much mind to the topics, but being face to face did help. Just after saying goodbye, Maizono quickly turned back around to face Yamada.

"Oh, um... Yamada?"

"Yes?"

"I know you said you didn't want to earlier, but-" Already it was obvious where this was going.

"You want to know if I've changed my mind about tonight, right?" Yamada finished, sounding a little uncomfortable. "I'm pretty sure I won't be much fun there, but... sure." His change of heart delighted Maizono, who promptly gave him a quick squeeze of a hug. 

"I'm so glad to hear that!" She happily exclaimed before letting go. "It won't be right not having you there, trust me. If that weren't the case, then why would everyone have tried to get a hold of you all day?"

"You do have a point there." Yamada rubbed his neck, anything to try and fight off the urge to blush from that hug. "I guess I'll see you in two hours?"

"Oh shoot, is that the time already? I've got so much to prepare!" The idol fretted, bouncing a little on the spot. "I gotta dash! See you!"

And off she ran down the street, frantically apologizing to anyone she happened to bump into accidentally. Yamada couldn't help but chuckle to himself, until realizing that he was running late too. Once home he would only have an hour to have a quick shower then change. In fact... he couldn't remember how to get to the karaoke bar. Perhaps it would be wise to chase after Maizono for the info.

"Miss Maizooonooooooooo!!!"

 

* * *

 

 

It was seven in the evening and already most of the class had turned up to the karaoke bar. They waited in the lobby, not wanting to go to their privately rented room until everyone was present. So far Hagakure, Celes, Oowada and Kuwata were late.

"I am very concerned about the lack of their presence!" Ishimaru loudly spoke up, forgetting his indoor voice.

"Hey, don't be so loud!" Asahina scolded. "Not everyone lives close enough to get here as quickly as the rest of us. It'll be fine."

"Yeah, don't lose your eyebrows over it." Junko jokingly remarked, which got her a confused and slightly not amused look from the soon to be former hall monitor. "You'd beat my sister in a match for being serious grumpy time enforcers."

Mukuro also did not share any level of amusement as she simply stood there silently as always.

Just then, Celes entered by herself, carrying an umbrella although is was not raining outside. In fact the forecast for tonight was going to be clear, so everyone assumed it was for show. She was wearing a very luxurious fur coat that looked quite big on her petite self.

"Good evening." She greeted with such grace before allowing a staff member to take her coat. "I trust we all here?"

"S-She didn't even apologize for being late..." Fukawa grumbled.

"It doesn't really matter since we are still waiting on others." Togami sighed, not even looking at Fukawa although that remark was aimed at her. The literary girl's cheeks went red, but not from embarrassment.

"Who else is not present?" Celes asked although she could clearly deduce that for herself by simply looking around.

"Hagakure, Kuwata and Oowada... I think." Fujisaki replied.

"Wait!" Maizono spoke up, startling the programmer who was standing right next to her. "Yamada is coming too!"

"Seriously?" Asahina bounced with excitement. "That's great! That means we'll all be together!"

"Well, that's if _everyone_ turns up." Junko added. "It ain't a party just yet."

" _ **DID SOMEBODY SAY A MOTHERFUCKING PARTY?!**_ "

That obnoxiously loud voice could only belong to Leon Kuwata.

As he strode in, brimming with confidence and the need to party hard, he was swiftly followed by Oowada who seemed a little embarrassed on his loud friend's behalf.

"I'm all for parties, but keep your tone down man." The biker sighed, hanging up both his helmet and and spare.

"Bro! I am estatic to see you here at last!" Ishimaru greeted before trying to engage in a hug. Oowada returned it in the most _'no homo'_ way everyone had ever seen. "I am a little upset due to your tardiness, but never mind. At least you are not as late as Hagakure or Yamada!"

"May I ask why you are carrying two helmets?" Oogami inquired.

"Oh, that? I picked Kuwata up on the way here." Oowada replied. "No big deal."

"It. Was. Awesome! You guys should seriously try riding on a bike some time. Fucking rad as hell! Ain't that right, Mondo?" Kuwata laughed, patting the gang leader on the shoulder firmly. " _...But seriously, go a little slower next time, okay?_ " He quietly whispered.

Just as everyone felt things were settled, Hagakure and Yamada finally arrived at long last. The party was starting half an hour later than planned, but with meet ups there was always going to be somebody making excuses.

"My apologies." Yamada bowed politely in front of everyone. "I've never been to this place before, so I had some trouble finding my way."

"Yeah, I got lost too." Hagakure chuckled as if he was being oh so quirky by being the last person to arrive.

"Hagakure, you were here two days prior to book the room." Asahina pointed out, staring at him unimpressed. 

"Oh yeaaah." He chuckled again, not getting just how foolish he was being.

 

Silly antics aside, everyone soon made their way to the private room which looked a lot nicer than the regular ones. The room itself had sound proofing so they wouldn't hear the drunken slurred warbling of other guests. As everyone took a seat, a member of staff briefly went over how to operate the machine before offering to take any orders. Most of them had already eaten before coming, so only a small handful of snacks were requested alongside drinks. Everyone agreed to only have water or juice, including Hagakure. He didn't want anybody to feel left out or make a bigger fool of himself by being drunk. Before long, everyone was talking in their own little groups. Nobody quite had the courage to sing first.

"I'm so glad you're here." A softly spoken voice snapped Yamada out of his little daydream as he was sitting alone. He turned to see Maizono was now sitting on the space next to him. "Really, thank you." Her smile was quite dazzling in the bright lighting of the room.

"It's nothing, really." He modestly replied with a smile of his own. "I guess it wouldn't be right if I weren't here to see out the end of an era."

"Don't say it like that." Maizono frowned. "We can still keep in touch, right?"

"I'm not saying we won't, just... well-" Yamada had to pause and think carefully about what to say next. "I just feel like things are going to change no matter what. We'll be going our separate ways as that is apart of life."

"T-True..." The idol looked down sadly at the floor. Her feet crossed over each other, slightly scuffing her cute white shoes. "My pop group are going their own separate ways to do what they want. Some want to go solo, have contracts for other big things or simply want to settle down and life a normal average life. It is easier for them in a way because they're not expected to stay consistent nor have large expectations pinned on them."

"Hey, you can do whatever you want!" Yamada said encouragingly. "You are an idol after all!" 

"That's the problem..." She looked over her shoulders to see everyone was still chatting among themselves, yet she felt paranoid that somebody could be ease dropping. She shuffled closer and whispered into the artist's ear. " _I don't want to be an idol any more._ "

"W-Wha-" Yamada was quick to cover his mouth to muffle his loudness. He slowly removed his hand, still bearing a confused yet concerned expression as he looked at Maizono. "You can't give up your dream! You've worked so hard for it!"

"I know." She sighed, letting her shoulders slump. "But what if this is not my dream any more? We spend our young lives being told to pick a career and stick to it without knowing of the changes or harsh reality that comes with it. You see so many people desperately cling to something that they thought was what they knew their entire life, but yet it still crumbles."

She looked back up, looking as if she could cry. But instead she remained calm, almost accepting what chaos was going on in her mind. She smiled in the usual bright and cheery way as always, making all those other times she smiled like that seem possibly fake. It was heart wrenching to see such a usually bright and happy young woman be brought to a dark place in a time where hopeful futures were a day away.

 

Yamada was unsure of what to say. Luckily, somebody was on hand to provide a distraction.

 

"C'mon, let's do this!" Junko's cheering broke the gloomy atmosphere as she selected a song on the machine. "Whoooo! Hey, Mukuro, come sing with me!"

Normally one would expect somebody as serious looking as the soldier to decline such a thing, but for some reason she always did whatever her sister wanted. As the two sisters got things going with a rather dark song choice (yet Junko was singing the lyrics in a happy tune), everyone else watched whilst drinking. As the night went on, Yamada managed to get around everyone to talk about various things. School memories, the future and general interests.

Finally it was his turn to sing.

"C'mon Yams, sing us a good one!" Hagakure cheerily encouraged as the otaku slowly approached the mic. 

"He's gonna pick an anime theme song. I j-just know it." Fukawa muttered, preparing to cover her ears.

"Yeah... this is gonna suck." Kuwata said without a care before receiving a sharp elbow jab from Asahina. "Ow, what?"

"Don't be a jerk!" She scolded.

As Yamada took the mic into his hands, he took a quick nervous glance at the song selection. He unintentionally went straight to the list of anime songs, but frowned at how mediocre they were. Most of it was either from old series had been done to death or were too obscure. Making the bold move to break out of his comfort zone, he moved onto different genres and found himself in the pop section. Although he knew the song titles, he didn't know how most of them went- until he spotted one song in particular. With a confident feeling, he selected the song before standing back up straight to look at his audience of friends. A soft pleasant sounding intro began to play, silencing anyone who was gabbing moments before. 

He hadn't sung the opening verse yet as Kuwata quietly left the room. Naegi flashed a concerned look with the intent to go after, but Kirigiri suggested that he might have gone to the bathroom.

 

_Take my hand._

_Ohowoah oh-oh-oh~_

 

Maizono let out a gasp as she was more than familiar with this song. It made sense considering that this was one of her best hits: "Eternal Bond". It was as generic as it sounded from the title alone, but the tune was really catchy. Of course Maizono was seriously talented at being an idol early on, making her rise to fame justifiable despite the tacky lyrics. The song was pretty much about a love story between and girl and a boy, but could also be interpreted as two close friends saying goodbye- but not for good.

 

_They say that you and I were meant to part._

_That there was always and end to it._

_And yet I find myself desperately clutching at my heart._

_There has to be more._

 

It was surprising just how good of a singer Yamada was. Although his singing voice was rather deep, he sang it softly like a caressing whisper to avoid any harsh sounding tones. Already Asahina and Junko were swaying to the song with tears in their eyes. The realization of what was ahead of them- the parting of ways- was starting to sink in.

As the otaku got closer to the chorus, the music went from soft to a powerful rise in tempo yet maintained a positive tune. Yamada nailed the timing, surprising everyone.

 

_I won't let it end!_

_Ohowoah-oh-oh!_

_This eternal bond we've shared for so long!_

_I refuse to let the spark die out!_

_Not after the hardships we've been through._

_Ignore even the smallest doubt._

_Because even though we walk different paths-_

_Mine will always lead back to you~_

 

By this point most were already cheering, some even sang along (badly, but the participation was appreciated). Naegi couldn't concentrate on the sing along for too long as his thoughts kept going back to Kuwata. Despite Kirigiri insisting he should just let the baseball start be, Naegi apologized before quietly leaving the room too. Nobody seemed distracted by his exit and were well into the song as Yamada hit the final notes perfectly.

"Whoo! Go Hifumi!" Junko cheered as loud and proud as ever.

"That was so nice. Good job!" Fujisaki praised as they stood up to applaud.

Soon everyone else followed suit (apart from Fukawa). Even Togami stood and clapped although his face lacked anything short of a smile. After the  standing ovation, Yamada gently placed the mic back on it's stand and sheepishly grinned before returning to his seat. His cheeks were pink and it didn't take long for some to either tease or congratulate.

"Never knew you had it in you." Oowada chuckled, giving Yamada a hardy pat on the back which felt more like getting bumped by the front of a car.

"I was most impressed! Truly delightful!" Ishimaru beamed with pride as he complimented without ever thinking of it being over the top.

"Thank you. it has been a while since I've sang like that." As much as Yamada wanted to remain modest, he could't help but internally agree that he did good.

"Okay! I think Hagakure should go next!" Junko cheekily suggested before attempting to pull the oldest of the group from his seat.

"H-Hey! Why's it gotta be me?!" The shaman tried to pull away, but it was all in vain when Mukuro helped her sister drag him to the mic. His protests were ignored by the others.

"Oh boy, now this could get ugly." Oowada sighed yet couldn't help but find Hagakure's situation amusing. 

"Quite." Yamada agreed with a chuckle.

He leaned forward and looked to the left past the biker to see where Maizono was currently sitting. She was now talking to Celes but quickly spotted him staring in her general direction. She smiled before nodding her head in the direction of the door. Yamada blinked not getting what she was doing and even pulled his glasses down his face to flash a confused look. Maizono leaned her head to the right so it was more clear that she was gesturing to the door. Her hands were already making gestures at Celes, but for a brief moment she held up her palm with fingers spread out. It seemed as though she was gesturing a time. 

_Out the door in five minutes._

That seemed to be the gist of the message. But why outside? Perhaps she wanted to talk a little more about the future, but not in the same room where there were more ears and louder voices. It wasn't helping that Hagakure was currently butchering his song with the most flat yet grating tune of the night so far. Yamada nodded back to Maizono before excusing himself to go to the bathroom.

 

* * *

 

 

As Yamada left the room, he was bumped into by Naegi who appeared distracted as he returned to join the other.

"Oh, sorry!" He apologized with both hands held up. "I was in a rush to get back. I should have paid more attention to where I was going."

"Don't worry about it, Mr. Naegi." Yamada patted his fried on the shoulder gently to reassure that no harm was done.

"You going to the bathroom?" The brown haired teen asked.

"Yes. I won't be long." Yamada scuffled past to face the direction of the toilets. "Head back in. The others are missing you."

"Okay. See you in a bit!"

After being waved off for something so mediocre as going to relieve one's self, Yamada walked into the men's bathroom and into a stall. As he got into position, he heard the main door to the facility swing open a slam shut. Some people were so damn inconsiderate. After quickly finishing his business, he zipped back up and went to go wash his hands at the sinks. However before he could reach out to run the water, he caught a glimpse of somebody's reflection apart from his very own.

That glint in Kuwata's eyes caught him completely off-guard.

"The fuck are you doing, Yamada?" The red haired punk's voice was softly spoken despite the harsh wording.

"I was merely trying to wash my hands!" The larger male nervously replied, not getting the sudden line of questioning.

"Not that you stupid fuckwhistle!" Kuwata bared his teeth like wild animal provoked as his began to pace alongside the stalls. "Back in the room when you were singing. Just how dare you pick that one!"

"I don't quite follow." Yamada slowly turned to actually face Kuwata instead of talking to his reflection. "If you had a request then I would have been happy to-"

"Request? Yeah, I got one." Kuwata suddenly stopped pacing and stepped closer. " _Stay away from Maizono._ "

And then it clicked. Yamada would sometimes be oblivious to some situations, but Kuwata's threatening behavior was easily connected to his break-up with Maizono. But why would he be acting so possessive of her when they both apparently agreed to end things? Either the idol left details out for some reason, or there was more to this than meets the eye.  

"Please refrain from making threats, Mr. Kuwata." Perhaps politeness was wasted on the more angered individual, but it didn't stop Yamada anyway. "It wouldn't be right to end the night on hostile terms. We're classmates. Friends. We should-"

"Cut the shit!" Kuwata swiftly swung his arm back to slam a fist on the stall door behind him. It made a thunderous sound that echoed in the tiled room causing Yamada to flinch and back up into the sink counter. "As of tonight we won't be either of those things, got it? We all go our own ways and that is that. Nobody ever keeps in touch with their classmates after graduation. They try to feed you the sappy promises speech, but it is all bullshit."

"That is not true! While some people do lose touch, it is not always intentional!" Despite his attempt at reasoning, Yamada could feel that this was only pissing Leon off even more. "Why are you being like this? Is it because-"

"Is it because- WHAT?" Another step closer and Yamada took one back until he could feel the counter digging into his lower back. "Tell me."

"Is it... b-because..." Yamada gulped, face dripping with sweat as his body was overcome with the heat of the situation. He wished he didn't wear a suit to the gathering tonight.

"Spit it out god damn it!"

"Is it because you split up with Maizono?"

And that as they say was the final straw that broke the camel's back.

Kuwata didn't even think twice about lunging at the otaku despite the slight height difference and angle. He managed to punch the other man in the left side, but lost his footing when he went for a second jab. Yamada managed to duck out of the way, only looking back to make sure the red head hadn't slammed his face into the counter. Luckily he managed not to do that.

"What is the matter with you? I know a break up must be tough but-" Yamada paused to catch his breath and winced when his side throbbed in pain. 

"Shut up! Just shut the hell up!"

Round two and this time there was no evading it. Now backed into a corner, all Yamada could do was get into a defensive ball position whilst making sure his head was protected. Kuwata was letting his own rage control his sloppy punches and kicks, most of them not hitting but the ones that did hurt considerably. Once his regained some clarity as to what he was doing, he grabbed the back of Yamada's suit jacket and forcefully pulled him out of the corner before dragging him onto the floor.

"Please, stop this!" Yamada cried out, his protests were temporarily cut short as he was winded from Kuwata slamming a fist down on his stomach.

"I won't be replaced by some sad fat loser like you! She deserves more than that... s-she..." Despite the brief lip quiver, the unreasonable assailant continued the relentless beat down. "I can't let her go like this! Fuck you!"

It was only a matter of time until somebody could hear the scuffle from outside. In the form of rescue came Oowada who was quick to tackle Kuwata to the floor upon discovering the one-sided brawl. He was swiftly accompanied by Naegi who had wondered just what was taking Yamada so long and got worried. A staff member was also there, watching the fight in disbelief before running back out to alert the authorities. After Oowada successfully pried a kicking and screaming all star away, Naegi quickly helped Yamada up to check him over.

"Are you okay? Oh man... I'm sorry it took me so long to realize why you hadn't come back sooner!" 

Yamada let out quiet yet pained groans as he sat up before pinching the bridge of his nose. His glassed had been knocked off and after blindly patting the floor space around him for a second, he found them. Broken and useless now. Typical.

"I'm... guh." He struggled to get up onto his feet, the pain in his legs made it difficult. "I'm not going to lie, I am in the worst shape right now... but my spirit is far from broken." He weakly managed a smile before wincing and hissing as he tried to stand up again.

"Stay down. Something might be broken. Best not make any sudden movements." Naegi nursed his friend as best he could. He breifly looked back to see that Kuwata had finally calmed down yet Oowada still kept holding on just in case. "I should have done something..."

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Mr. Naegi." Yamada reached out to pat his friend's shoulder, but a sharp pain caused him to withdraw. 

"No, you don't understand. He stormed out for a reason and-"

"I am aware of the reason." Yamada interrupted. "It is about Maizono."

"It is not just that." Naegi knew Kuwata was listening and could swear he was being glared at right now. "That song you sang... Kuwata was the one that wrote it."

As much as Yamada wanted to be surprised by that, in a way he had sort of assumed so earlier. He had listened to all of Maizono's songs before and found that the lyrics to that particular song felt off. They were pretty cliche yet also felt a bit too dramatic for the song's upbeat tune. However as far as he knew, Maizono took the credit for the song entirely. Taking a risk, Yamada turned his attention to Kuwata and calmly asked for confirmation of what was said.

"Is this true?"

"...Yeah." Kuwata's shoulders slumped, showing that he was no longer hostile yet Oowada wasn't keen on letting him go just yet. "It was meant to be a rock song, but I could never get it right. I showed her the lyrics and she loved it before offering to sing her take instead. I was a bit disappointed that it wasn't me singing my own tribute to her, but the compromise was good." He weakly chuckled, finally looking up from the floor to make eye contact.

"But she took full credit for the song. Didn't that bother you?" Yamada asked.

"Nah, not really. I think it was for the best she claimed it was her work. I think she deserves to after the way I'd been using her as a free pass to backstage parties." He didn't mean to, but couldn't help but smirk as he fondly remembered those times.

"I should say so too." Yamada huffed. "She could have dumped you at any time, but didn't because she always knew you just wanted to experience the music industry."

"Whoa, hold up!" Oowada butted in. "Is that true?"

"It is." Naegi confirmed sounding less than happy with knowing. "Kuwata told me earlier when I went after him. But Yamada... when did you find out?"

"Earlier today as a matter of fact." Yamada grunted a little. "We met up to catch up on matters and it just came up. I guess- ow! D-Damn it all!" As he adjusted his position he was pretty sure that the constant pain in his left foot meant broken bones. Fabulous.

"We should really get you an ambulance!" Naegi fussed.

"I'll be fine with a few days of bed rest." Yamada forced a chuckle but it just sounded garbled when that caused more pain.

"Shit, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry..." Kuwata had his head down again but his apology was sincere. "I'm not sure what happened. I guess the way things have been for the past couple of days made me realize how much I'm going miss both Maizono and everyone else."

"So you should be fucking sorry!" Oowada was not going to sugar coat a damn thing if he had anything to say about it. "I'm really ashamed of you, man."

" _I know..._ "

 

Moments later the police finally arrived to take Kuwata away. Despite Yamada's best attempts to tell them not to, they still took the young baseballer away for overnight detainment. He had caused a scene in a public area after all. The rest of the group were oblivious as they were distracted with karaoke to even notice. Yamada, Naegi and Oowada agreed to keep the incident under wraps at least until morning so not to spoil the rest of the evening. When questioned with Kuwata's sudden disappearance, they made up that he just felt sick and needed to rush home. To avoid further suspicion, Yamada also had to be excused by Naegi so nobody would see the damage. Oowada escorted the battered otaku home with the most gentle and slow motorbike ride he'd ever done.

Two hours later, everyone left to head home and rest for the graduation ceremony that would happen the following morning. Although most were suspicious as to what was going on, nobody was as confused or worried as Maizono.

 

* * *

 

 

As Oowada pulled up outside of Yamada's house, he hopped off to offer his shoulder to rest on and help him walk over to the door. The offer was quickly shot down.

"C'mon man. There is no way you can hobble inside without help." 

"I'm fine, really." Yamada insisted as he shakily took a step forward. "I'd rather deal with the pain of walking than the hell that awaits me if my mother sees me like this."

"Well that explains why you asked me to drop you off at the back." The biker chuckled before he realized his amusement was pretty inappropriate and stopped. "Er, I feel shitty leaving you like this. Are you sure-"

"Honestly, stop fussing! I'm going to be okay, Mr. Oowada."

"Okay, if you insist. Jeez." Oowada held his hands up to do the surrender gesture before getting back on his bike. "You get your ass to bed, okay? I'll see ya in the morning. Later!"

And with that he loudly revved up his motorbike, already forgetting the previous request to be sneaky and quiet out back to avoid dropping Yamada right in it.

" _...Gosh darn it._ "

It couldn't be helped. Shrugging off the pain as he waddled to the door, Yamada fished in his back pocket for the keys. He spent a good few minutes fumbling and fighting the various keychain charms that were holding the keys hostage. With the right key in hand he quietly unlocked the door and snuck into the kitchen. Things were going fine until he'd forgotten that there was a counter to the left as he blindly walked into it. He didn't want to turn any lights on to avoid detection and so far that was hindering more than helping. Luckily his muffled yelp of surprise didn't seem to arouse his presumably sleeping mother. Although it seemed a little early for her to be in bed, she did work all through last night to make a deadline. Once through the kitchen, he had to face his next obstacle. The stairs.

 _"Oh crap"_ He thought to himself before considering sleeping on the sofa instead.

No, he couldn't. In his mind that was worse especially if his mother awoke to find him in his current state. Taking a deep breath as he reached out for the railing, one foot slowly lifted up. Then quickly stepped back down. Using his injured foot too soon was a hasty mistake.

"I really need to get up there." He mumbled to himself. "Before-"

**Click~**

Suddenly the hallway was bright which could only mean one thing.

"Before what, young man?"

 _Crap baskets._  

"Aha... hello, m-mother. I wasn't expecting you to be-"

"Up?" She finished, sounding far from amused. "I had a few cups of coffee and was just browsing on my tablet in the living room. I heard you fumbling about in the kitchen."

"Oh, aha. I see. Well then I better get to bed. Goodn-"

Oh no way in hell was he getting off that easy.

"What on earth happened to you? You are such a mess!" His mother stepped forward to brush off his dirtied suit only to be surprised when her son let out a pained yelp.

Yamada had managed to clean up most of his facial inures, but as soon as he turned his head a large bruise on his left cheek was visible. 

"Oh my goodness, my poor baby! What happened?!" She reached out to touch but he quickly pulled away. "Have you been... in a fight?"

"I... I kinda fell over." That lie would have been a little more convincing if he didn't stammer. "I got a little excited and er, lost my footing."

"Did you... oh my gosh-" She brushed one hand over her face before folding her arms in disapproval. "Have you been drinking?" before he could even answer, she was already up close and sniffing his breath.

"Heavens, n-" Wait a second, _that could work_. "Um, sorry, yeah... I kinda had a little bit to drink."

"I knew it." She flung her arms in the air, getting more annoyed by the second. "Hifumi, you shouldn't be drinking! You have the graduation ceremony tomorrow! Oh I knew that outing was a bad idea. Why did you go? Wait, did that hippie make you drink? The one with the big hair-"

"Mother, Mr. Hagakure is a not a hippie. And no, he didn't make me do anything. I was the one who messed up!" As more convincing as it seemed to say Hagakure did pressure for drinks (because he would), Yamada didn't want to get anyone else in trouble tonight. Already he was worried about Kuwata being in a cell for the night.

"I guess there's not much that can be done about it." She sighed. "Here, hold onto me and go steady. You are going to bed and no buts about it, alright? I'll see if I can get a doctor out to the house in the morning. I'll also have to contact your school to-"

"Wait, I can't just not turn up to the graduation ceremony!" Yamada winced as his sudden movement to protest backfired. His mother simply tutted. 

"You'll still get your diploma and other documents, don't worry about it. Though I'm sad I won't get to see you walk onto a stage and accept them, I'd rather have my baby boy be in one piece."

"Mom, I'm eighteen." 

"Still my baby."

She kissed him on the not so bruised cheek before getting him up the stairs. It was quite a slow and painful climb, but nothing compared to his shattered pride and overwhelming guilt. After being tucked in he soon realized another thing.

 

He was going to miss his last chance to see Maizono.

 

* * *

 

 

The following morning came and went relatively fast, leaving Yamada mumbling in bed to himself bitterly over his own foolishness. He hadn't heard anything from any of his friends attending the ceremony today. Luckily Hopes Peak were sympathetic and with it being a different kind of school, the agreement to just have somebody delivery his papers was made. It wasn't missing out on the event itself that upset Yamada, but rather the chance of seeing all of his classmates for possibly the last time had slipped through his fingers. 

As for the state of his body, a doctor gave the good news that nothing was broken, just a little swollen. Since then his mother had been fussing over him and almost drowning in with way too much soup. He turned to stare at the bowl by his bedside table, now stone cold. Before contemplating on consuming it anyway, he heard a buzzing sound coming from next to the bowl. His phone was vibrating so much that it was practically moving around the bowl. Carefully sitting up to reach out, he grabbed it and checked the screen. It was only a text message but it was lengthy.

 

_"Naegi told me about what really happened last night. I'm so sorry Kuwata did that to you! The ceremony is over now and everyone is missing you a lot. Kuwata didn't make it either for obvious reasons but luckily for him he's not facing any charges. It is my fault you got into this mess so tell me what I can do to help, even if it means you want me to stay away. I wouldn't hold it against you."_

 

Maizono. His lip quivered as he tried not to choke. As wild as the night was from start to finish, he didn't blame her in the slightest. He chose to get involved because he cared. And why not? Over the years she had been a good friend and he felt it was only right to lend a ear to listen to her troubles. Only this time he ended up lending a bit more. Like his stomach, face, legs, feet... also a pair of glasses that still needed to be replaced.

With haste, he messily sent a response that cried out for her to come over as soon as possible.

She was there in just over an hour.

 

"Maizono my dear, how are you?" Yamada's mother cheerfully greeted the blue haired idol at the doorstep. "More importantly- congratulations on graduating!" She reached out and gave a hug which was gleefully accepted and returned.

"I'm fine, Mrs. Yamada... and thank you!" They pulled away and Maizono's happy expression quickly shifted to concerned. "I'm here to see Hifumi if that is okay?"

"Of course! Some company is just what he needs." She stepped to one side to let Maizono in before escorting her upstairs. "He's been pretty crabby all day, so do excuse him."

"Oh, no, that's fine." Maizono wasn't sure if she should mention she was summoned here via a text message or not. 

"I'll leave you to it then." The older woman smiled before slowly peeking into her son's room to make sure he wasn't doing anything he shouldn't be (young men and their urges, y'know). "Hiffles, Maizono is here to see you."

The whiny response to the nickname consisted of a dragged out _"mooooooom"_ before a heavy sigh to confirm permission to enter followed.

As Maizono walked in and the mother left, there was a moment of awkward silence as the idol was not expecting Yamada to look as bad as he did. He could tell already from her avoiding eye contact that she was eating herself up from the inside over it.

"None of this is your fault." He reassured, patting one side of his bed as an invitation to sit near him. "Come. I want to hear about the ceremony."

Maizono reluctantly approached the bed and lingered as she stood by his side.

"Please?" He looked up at her with dark beady eyes like a lost puppy.

Now how could anyone resist that?

As Maizono sat down, she felt the need to get something off her chest and out in the open first.

"Yamada, I want to thank you for yesterday." She paused, then quickly elaborated. "I meant when you listened to me yesterday. You also made me think about what direction I'm going in life. I've been so scared of what to do since so much has changed already, but I know one thing- I can't give up. Like you said... I've worked so hard up until now. If I stopped then it would be all for nothing!"

"Goodness, I'm lost for words." Yamada brushed the back of his head, one of the few places that didn't hurt. "But most of how you feel now, I had nothing to do with it. That's all you, Miss Maizono. You found your inner strength."

"Maybe..." She mulled over that last sentence with a faint smile. "But there is one other thing I've realized."

"Oh? And what is that?" Yamada asked.

"You can have more than one dream." She paused, looking down yet it wasn't clear if she was staring at anything in particular. It was almost as if there was some hesitation. "I should go after what I want in life. Helping others is good and all, but if I let them take advantage then that could leave me in a tight spot."

No doubt she was referring to how Kuwata had previously treated her in the past. Yamada had to wonder if they really were happy together considering Kuwata's strong outburst from last night.

"All true." He nodded. "Pardon me, but it feels like you're trying to get at something else here."

"You're right. I am."

And that was when she reached out to hold Yamada's hand. This wasn't the first time, but it felt different from before. The way her fingers gently brushed against his own before entwining made it more than obvious to what she was about to propose.

"I was thinking..."

"Y-Yes?"

He honestly hoped his mother wouldn't check his temperature after Maizono leaves, because he was beet red and becoming his own sauna.

"Maybe once you have healed up, we could go to that place again. You know... the one with the good milkshakes. Then after we could do whatever we feel like. Maybe go deeper into town."

"Miss Maizono... are you asking me out on a date?"

She giggled in a playfully teasing manner then confirmed it with a gentle kiss on the cheek.

_Boy it was getting hotter in there._

"Does that answer your question?" She chuckled, not letting go of Yamada's hand any time soon. "Oh and please, drop the 'Miss'. We've known each other for years, silly."

"I know but... old habits you know?" Yamada laughed then was cut off short by more rib pain. "Oof... yeah, I agree that we do it after I've recovered."

 

 

"...No karaoke bar?"

"I promise, no karoke bar."

"Perfect~"

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kirigiri is up next and then I'll do a guy. Either Ishimaru or Oowada.
> 
> Kuwata is sitting in the naughty corner for now after this chapter.


End file.
